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MAP  OF  THE  CAPE  HORN  REGION. 


The  Gold  Diggings 
OF  Cape  Horn 

A  STUDY  OF  LIFE  IN  TIERRA  DEL  FUEGO 
AND    PATAGONIA 


BY 

John  R.  Spears 


ILLUSTRATED 


G.  P.  PUTNAM'S   SONS 

NEW   YORK  LONDON 

»7   WEST  TWENTY-THIRD   STREET  24    BEDFORD   STREET,   STRAND 

J  be  Jmitlurbockcr  Jlrtss 
1895 


Copyright,  1895 

BY 

G.  P.  PUTNAM'S  SONS 
Entered  at  Stationers'  Hall^  London 


Tlbe  Itnicficrboctier  iprees,  HAew  t^ocbelle,  Tl.  IQ. 


TO   ALL  WHO   LOVE  THE  RED   ABORIGINES   OF   THE   AMERICAS 
AS   GOD   MADE  THEM. 


^4  ^/f  OO 


PREFACE 


T  Am  impelled  to  say,  by  way  of  preface,  that  the  readers 
*  will  find  herein  such  a  collection  of  facts  about  the 
coasts  of  Tierra  del  Fuego  and  Patagonia  as  an  ordinary 
newspaper  reporter  might  be  expected  to  gather  while 
on  the  wing,  and  write  when  the  journey  was  ended.  It 
was  as  a  reporter  of  The  Sun,  of  New  York,  that  I  visited 
the  region  described.  And  instead  of  giving  these  facts 
in  the  geographical  sequence  in  which  they  were  gathered, 
I  have  grouped  them  according  to  the  subjects  to  which 
they  relate.  So  it  happens  that  the  work  is  what  may  be 
properly  called  a  collection  of  newspaper  sketches  rather 
than  the  conventional  story  of  a  traveller.  I  make  this 
explanation  the  more  freely  for  the  reason  that  book- 
buyers  as  a  rule,  so  book  publishers  have  repeatedly  told 
me,  do  not  take  kindly  to  newspaper  sketches  bound  in 
book  form.  They  resent  as  an  attempted  imposition,  it 
is  said,  the  masking  of  such  writings  in  the  garb  that  be- 
longs to  literature,  just  as  they  would  resent  the  sale  of 
cotton-seed  oil  under  the  name  of  lard.  However  this 
may  be  I  am  bound  to  avoid  even  the  appearance  of  any 
such  deceitful  intent. 

On  the  other  hand  there  are  people  who  depend  almost 
entirely  on  the  newspapers  for  their  reading  matter.    They 


vi  PREFACE. 

seem  to  prefer  the  style  of  the  newspaper  writers.  Per- 
haps a  book  that  is  avowedly  the  work  of  a  reporter  will 
meet  their  approval.  At  any  rate  I  should  be  partic- 
ularly sorry  to  have  any  of  them  think,  when  the  book 
is  offered  to  them  by  the  bookseller,  that  it  is  anything 
different  from  what  it  is. 

Then  there  is  the  pleading  of  the  baby  act  in  literature 
— the  offering  of  apologies  for  shortcomings  and  asking 
for  the  leniency  of  the  reader.  I  do  not  think  I  ought 
to  do  it.  It  is  as  if  a  dairy  farmer,  while  asking  full  price 
for  his  butter,  should  say  :  "  I  've  a  realizin'  sense  that  the 
smell  haint  just  right.  The  dinged  cows  was  eatin'  leeks 
afore  I  know'd  it,  but  I  done  my  best  at  the  churnin'  an' 
I  hope  ye  '11  make  allowances."  If  a  buyer  is  looking 
for  a  book  with  the  odor  of  flowers  and  new-mown  hay 
in  it  I  do  not  think  it  is  becoming  to  ask  him  to  take 
one  flavored  with  garlic  instead.  Save  for  the  matter 
manifestly  from  books  and  records  I  obtained  the  facts 
herein  by  observation  and  interviews  ;  and  I  am  willing 
to  abide  by  the  press  law  that  a  blunder  is  inexcusable. 
It  is,  of  course,  the  honest  intent  of  the  news-gatherer  to 
write  his  facts  so  that  they  will  not  be  ignored  or  mis- 
understood or  forgotten,  but  when  he  fails  to  reach  that 
standard  he  loses  his  market,  and  he  ought  to  lose  it. 
And  the  man  who  essays  the  creation  of  something 
permanent  ought  not  to  ask  that  he  be  judged  by  a 
lower  standard  than  that  of  the  writers  for  "  ephemeral 
publications." 

I  am  under  great  obligations  to  many  of  the  people 
whom  I  met  in  the  course  of  the  journey,  for  assistance 
in  gathering  facts,  but  of  the  whole  number  Mr.  E.  L. 
Baker,  the  American  Consul  at  Buenos  Ayres  ;  Herr 
Bruno   Ansorge,  of  the  Paramo  Mining  Company  ;  Mr- 


PREFA  CE. 


VI 1 


Adolph  Figue,  a  merchant  at  Ushuaia  ;  and  Revs.  John 
Lawrence  and  Thomas  Bridges,  missionaries,  were  at 
especial  pains  to  help  me.  I  should  like  to  thank  them 
again  for  what  they  did.  And  were  I  not  prohibited 
from  doing  so  I  would  include  one  other  name — that 
of  the  runaway  sailor  boy  from  New  York  whom  I  found 
in  the  desolate  harbor  at  the  east  end  of  La  Isla  de 
Los  Estados. 

Having  said  this  much  I  can  very  cheerfully  face  the 
inevitable — the  fact  that  the  work  will  be  judged  by 
its  merits.  If  it  succeeds  I  shall  be  glad,  of  course  ;  if  it 
fails  I  shall  know  better  what  to  do  next  time. 

J.  R.  S. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 
AFTER  CAPE  HORN  GOLD     ..... 

CHAPTER    11. 
THE  CAPE  HORN  METROPOLIS       .... 

CHAPTER  III. 
CAPE  HORN  ABORIGINES       ..... 

CHAPTER  IV. 
A  CAPE  HORN  MISSION  ..... 

CHAPTER  V. 
ALONG-SHORE  IN  TIERRA  DEL  FUEGO 
CHAPTER  VI. 
STATEN  ISLAND  OF  THE  FAR  SOUTH    . 

CHAPTER  VII. 
THE  NOMADS  OF  PATAGONIA         .... 
CHAPTER  VIII. 

THE  WELSH  IN  PATAGONIA jgg 

CHAPTER    IX. 
BEASTS  ODD  AND  WILD         ..... 

CHAPTER   X. 
BIRDS  OF  PATAGONIA  ......    20I 


27 
47 

79 

107 

137 
151 


183 


X  CONTEXTS. 

CHAPTER    XI. 

SHEEP  IX  PATAGOXIA 

CHAFTER  XII. 
THE  GAUCHO  AT   HOME 

CHAPTER  XIII. 
Patagonia's  tramps 

CHAPTER  XIV. 
THE  JOURNEY  ALONG-SHORE 


228 
250 
260 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


PAGE 

MAP  OF  THE  CAPE  HORN"  REGION      .  .         Frontispiece 

GOLD-WASHIXG    MACHINES,       PARAMO,   TIERRA    DEL 

FUEGO  

PUXTA  ARENAS,   STRAIT    OF  MAGELLAN      . 
YAHGAN5  AT   HOME '..... 
THE  MISSION   STATION  AT  USHUAIa' 
USHUAIA,  THE  CAPITAL  OF  ARGENTINE  TIERRA  DEL 

FUEGO '...,... 
AN  ONA    FAMILY  *...... 

ALUCULOOF    INDIANS*        ..... 

GOVERNMENT     STATION     AT     ST.     JOHN.        (fROM    A 

SKETCH  BY  COMMANDER    CH\VAITES,   A.N.)  ' 

A  TEHUELCHE  SQUAW  ' 

TEHUELCHE3  IN   CAMP  '      . 

GAUCHOS  AT  HOME 

AMONG   THE  RUINS  AT   P(>RT  DESIRE,   PATAGONIA 

SANTA  CRUZ,  PATAGONIA  '  .... 

THE  governor's  HOME  AND  A    BUSINESS    BLOCK    IN 

GALLEGOS,  THE  CAPITAL  OF  PATAGONIA  * 


14 

30 
48 
92 

108 
128 

138 

166 

228 

270 
276 

2S2 


'  Reproduced  by  permission  of  Cliarles  Scribner's  Sons,  from  an 
article,  by  the  author  of  this  book,  in  Scribner's  Magazine,  entitled 
"  At  the  end  of  the  Continent." 


THE  GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF 
CAPE  HORN. 


CHAPTER  I. 


AFTER  CAPE  HORN  GOLD. 


TF  any  of  the  readers  of  this  book  have  an  unrestrain- 
■^  able  longing  for  wild  adventure,  with  the  possibility 
of  suddenly  acquiring  riches  thrown  in  as  an  incentive 
to  endurance,  let  them  pack  their  outfits  and  hasten 
away  to  the  region  lying  between  Cape  Horn  and 
the  Straits  of  Magellan  to  dig  for  gold.  Neither  Aus- 
tralia nor  California  in  their  roughest  days  afforded 
the  dangers,  nor  did  they  make  the  showings  of  gold 
— real  placer  gold  for  the  poor  man  to  dig — that 
have  been,  and  are  still  to  be  found  in  Tierra  del  Fuego, 
and  the  adjoining  islands.  Nor  is  the  gold  in  all  cases 
too  fine  to  be  saved  by  ordinary  rude  sluices,  for  "nug- 
gets as  big  as  kernels  of  corn " — the  ideal  gold  of 
the  placer  miner — have  been  found  by  the  handful,  and 
may  still  be  had  in  one  well-known  locality  if  the  miner 

I 


2  THE   GOLD  DIGGINGS  OP  CAPE  HORN. 

is  willing  and  able  to  endure  the  hardships  and  escape 
the  dangers  incident  to  the  search. 

But  because  of  the  hardships  and  dangers  it  is  a 
veritable  tantalus  land.  There  are  many  more  skeletons 
of  dead  miners  than  authentic  records  of  wealth  acquired 
in  Tierra  del  Fuego,  while  those  who  have  now  and 
again  struck  it  rich  and  gotten  clean  off  with  the  dust 
usually  have  gone  no  further  with  it  than  Punta  Arenas 
in  the  Straits  of  Magellan,  for  Punta  Arenas  is  to 
this  region  what  San  Francisco  was  to  California  and 
Virginia  City  to  the  deserts  of  Nevada. 

The  story  of  the  Cape  Horn  gold  diggings  is  especially 
remarkable  in  this,  that  the  gold  there  should  have 
remained  undiscovered  during  the  centuries  that  passed 
after  the  first  navigators  landed  in  the  region.  Consider 
that  Magellan  first  saw  Patagonia  and  the  strait  that 
bears  his  name  more  than  350  years  ago.  Consider 
further  the  character  of  Magellan,  and  the  host  of 
explorers  that  followed  him.  They  were  all  admirals, 
or  bore  other  titles  of  high  rank,  and  we  call  them 
famous,  but  they  were  almost  to  a  man  notion  ped- 
dlers— men  who  started  out  with  stocks  of  gewgaws  and 
trifles  which  they  were  to  swap  for  valuables.  Magellan 
went  out,  not  to  make  himself  famous  as  a  navigator, 
but  to  reach  the  Spice  Islands  by  a  shorter,  and  therefore 
more  profitable,  route  than  that  by  the  Cape  of  Good 
Hope.  He  was  out  for  fortune,  and  the  fame  of  making 
discoveries  was  an  incidental  matter.  And  so  for  the  rest. 
They  were  not  very  particular  or  nice  as  to  how  they  got 
gold  to  ballast  their  ships.  They  plundered  harmless 
people  on  the  African  coast  and  elsewhere  ;  robbed  ships 
found  under  other  flags  than  their  own  ;  even  sacrificed 
innocent  human  lives  in  their  thirst  for  gold.     Not  one  of 


AFTER    CAPE  HORN  GOLD.  3 

these  greedy  sailors  and  pirates  but  would  have  gone 
almost  wild  with  joy  at  the  finding  of  a  mine  of  gold. 

And  yet  here,  in  the  streams  that  empty  into  the  Straits 
of  Magellan,  even  in  the  streams  near  Port  Famine, 
where  Sarmiento's  colony  starved  to  death,  and  in 
the  sands  of  the  coast  of  Patagonia,  were  gold  diggings — 
the  genuine  placer  diggings,  as  said.  These  navigators 
sailed  along  with  their  eyes  on  the  gold-bearing  shores. 
They  even  filled  their  water  casks  in  the  gold-bearing 
streams.  It  is  likely  that  the  time  came  when  scarcely 
a  day  in  the  year  passed  when  some  sailor's  eye  was  not 
on  land  in  the  Cape  Horn  region  where  gold  could 
be  found,  but  not  until  the  latter  half  of  the  nineteenth 
century  was  gold  actually  obtained  there. 

Then,  when  gold  was  found,  comes  another  curious 
feature  of  the  story.  It  probably  took  tv/enty  years  after 
the  finding  of  the  first  dust — twenty  years,  during  every 
one  of  which,  some  gold  was  found  in  the  region — to 
create  anything  like  a  stir  in  the  matter.  I  say  probably 
twenty  years  because  the  actual  dates  are  not  known. 

The  story  of  the  Cape  Horn  mining  region  begins  on 
the  mainland  of  Patagonia  north  of  the  Straits  of  Magel- 
lan, and  it  is  at  the  beginning  a  very  hazy  story.  I  could 
not  learn  definitely  either  the  name  of  the  first  man  who 
found  gold  in  the  vicinity  of  the  strait,  or  the  exact 
locality  in  which  it  was  found.  I  talked  with  miners  and 
merchants  of  the  region  on  the  subject,  but  no  one  knew 
anything  about  it  worth  mention.  An  Official  Memoria 
General  on  the  subject  of  Mines,  printed  in  Buenos 
Ayres  in  1889,  says  that  "several  years  before  1867  it 
was  known  that  gold  existed  on  the  east  coast  of  Pata- 
gonia, and  also  in  the  little  streams  that  run  from  differ- 
ent points  of  the  Andes.     This  fact  has  been  confirmed 


4  THE   GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORN. 

in  various  places  and  at  different  times  by  Chilean  miners 
and  shipwrecked  seamen."  And  that  is  the  best  infor- 
mation I  could  get  on  the  subject. 

Early  in  1869  Commander  George  Chaworth  Musters 
of  the  English  navy,  visited  Punta  Arenas,  en  route  for 
a  journey  across  Patagonia  with  the  Tehuelche  Indians. 
In  one  of  the  stores  of  the  town,  where  he  stopped 
for  the  purpose  of  "  purchasing  tobacco  and  other  neces- 
saries," he  found  some  nuggets  of  gold.  He  speaks  of 
them  incidentally  along  with  the  Indian  weapons,  gir- 
dles, and  other  curios,  that  the  store  contained,  but 
a  Yankee  sailor  from  the  schooner  Rippling  Wave,  who 
happened  into  the  store  while  Musters  was  there, 
became  enthusiastic  over  it  and  said  : 

"  Ah,  that 's  the  stuff  we  used  to  grub  up  in  a  creek  in 
Californy.  I  guess  if  the  old  boat  lays  her  bones  on 
these  here  shores,  I  '11  stop  and  turn  to  digging  again." 

In  1877  and  again  in  1878,  Don  Ramon  Lista,  an  Ar- 
gentine explorer  and  writer,  visited  Punta  Arenas,  and  on 
his  return  to  Buenos  Ayres  he  printed  his  experiences  in 
a  pamphlet.     In  that  he  says  : 

The  creek  called  Las  Minas  that  bounds  the  settlement  on  the 
north  abounds  in  grains  of  gold  ;  and  from  1866  until  1877  many 
natives  of  the  island  of  Chiloe  have  lived  well  on  the  daily  product  of 
their  labors  in  washing  the  gold-bearing  sand. 

In  the  year  1876,  a  small  schooner  engaged  in  the  seal 
fishery,  and  commanded  by  a  noted  Argentine  sailor, 
Don  Gregorio  Ibanez,  was  stranded  near  Cape  Virgin, 
the  extreme  southeast  corner  of  Patagonia.  The  crew, 
without  exception,  had  the  good  fortune  to  escape  to  the 
land  with  some  provisions  and  other  valuables,  including 
a  shovel.     The  shovel  may  seem  to  be  a  novel  tool  for 


AFTER   CAPE  HORN  GOLD.  5 

shipwrecked  seamen  to  carry  through  the  surf,  but  Don 
Gregorio  knew  what  he  was  doing. 

Patagonia  is  a  desert  region  very  much  like  certain 
parts  of  the  United  States.  One  may  travel  hundreds  of 
miles  without  seeing  a  drop  of  sweet  water,  and  yet  with 
a  shovel  water  a-plenty  may  be  had  by  him  who  knows 
where  to  dig.  Don  Gregorio,  having  landed  his  provi- 
sions, put  a  man  at  work  digging  in  the  sand  not  very  far 
from  the  surf  in  search  of  water.  Whether  he  found 
water  or  not  tradition  does  not  tell.  The  story  tellers  all 
forget  about  the  water  as  they  relate  how,  when  the  dig- 
ger had  gotten  down  about  three  feet,  he  began  to  throw 
out  a  layer  of  black  sand  such  as  no  one  of  the  crew  had 
seen  before — a  black  sand  that  was  dotted  all  over  with 
little  and  big  dull  yellow  particles.  That  was  such  an 
odd-looking  sand  that  Don  Gregorio  and  the  digger  and 
all  hands  had  to  take  a  proper  look  at  it.  And  when  they 
had  taken  this  look,  they  almost  went  crazy  with  excite- 
ment, because  those  yellow  particles  were  pure  gold. 

But,  as  I  said,  neither  this  discovery  nor  the  gold  that 
was  dug  from  Las  Minas  creek  at  Punta  Arenas,  nor  the 
stories  of  these  doings  which  were  carried  to  England 
and  to  California  by  ships  passing  that  way,  had  any 
effect  in  creating  a  rush  to  the  diggings  near  the  straits. 

In  explanation  of  this  indifference,  it  may  be  said  that 
the  diggings,  even  of  Las  Minas  creek  were,  on  the  whole, 
rather  lean.  Instances  of  considerable  finds  are  mentioned 
by  the  old  timers  of  Punta  Arenas.  Men  cleaned  up  the 
stuff  by  the  ounce,  in  spots,  but  the  run  of  what  men  got 
was  ''mere  day  wages."  The  find  of  Don  Gregorio's  sail- 
ors was  not  considered  of  any  importance — the  tiny  nug- 
gets were  supposed  to  be  a  stray  deposit,  and  not  indicat- 
ing any  bed  of  gold-bearing  sand.     The  stuff  lay  in  the 


6  THE   GOLD  DIGGINGS  OP  CAPE  HORN. 

sand  of  the  beach,  and  who  had  ever  heard  of  such  a 
thing  as  placer  diggings  in   the  sand  along  the  shore  ? 

In  1877  as  many  as  120  men  worked  the  sands  of  Las 
Minas  creek  and  made  day  wages  at  it.  In  the  United 
States  the  fact  that  120  men  with  hash  bowls  could  wash 
out  even  "  mere  day  wages  "  would  create  a  rush  to  the 
region,  while  the  finding  of  an  occasional  nugget  "of  the 
weight  of  300  grammes,"  as  occurred  in  Las  Minas  creek, 
would  create  a  stampede,  of  course,  but  in  the  Spanish- 
American  countries  the  conditions  and  the  people  are 
different. 

However,  a  time  came  when  even  the  people  of  Punta 
Arenas  got  excited.  The  steamship  Arctic  of  one  of  the 
lines  running  through  the  strait  was,  in  1884,  wrecked  on 
Cape  Virgin  very  near  the  place  where  Don  Gregorio's 
sealing  schooner  went  ashore.  Like  the  inhabitants  of 
the  Bahama  Islands,  the  people  of  Punta  Arenas  used  "  to 
thank  God  for  a  good  wreck."  The  Arctic  was  a  remark- 
ably good  wreck,  for  she  was  a  well-found,  handsomely 
fitted  passenger  ship.  A  motley  crew  of  men  hastened 
from  Punta  Arenas  to  the  beach  at  Cape  Virgin,  some  to 
get  what  they  could  from  her  lawfully,  and  some  to  get 
what  they  could  in  any  way.  It  is  said  now  that  some 
one  of  the  number  was  familiar  with  the  story  of  what 
Don  Gregorio's  sailors  found  when  digging  for  water,  and 
so  the  old  story  of  gold  discoveries  there  was  retold  as 
the  gang  smoked  and  talked  and  sorted  their  plunder. 
Thereat  some  of  them  went  digging  "just  for  luck,"  and 
found  something  more  exciting  even  than  the  silk  fittings, 
chronometers,  cordage,  and  anchors  which  they  had 
taken  from  the  Arctic — they  found  gold. 

One  Fred  Often  cleaned  up  seventeen  kilos  (37.4 
pounds)  of  gold  in  the  course  of  two  weeks,  they  say,  and 


AFTER   CAPE  HORN  GOLD.  y 

that  sort  of  luck  was  enough  to  rouse  even  the  phlegmatic 
wreckers  of  the  Straits  of  Magellan, 

Here,  then,  at  the  wreck  of  the  steamship  Arctic,  is 
found  the  real  beginning  of  the  story  of  the  Cape  Horn 
gold  diggings.  In  those  days  Punta  Arenas  was  a  supply 
depot  for  a  fleet  of  sealing  schooners  that  eventually  de- 
stroyed the  rookeries  of  the  region  to  the  south.  The 
sealing  sailors  took  a  hand  in  with  the  gold  washers. 
They  did  more  than  that.  They  had,  as  they  would  have 
said,  a  severe  look  at  the  ground  round  about  as  well  as 
at  the  layer  of  sand  in  which  the  gold  was  found.  The 
lofty  banks — in  fact,  everything  in  sight  from  the  beach — 
was  what  geology  sharps  would  call  an  alluvial  formation. 
The  lofty  precipices  were  composed  of  layers  of  clay, 
sand,  pebbles,  shells,  the  debris  of  prehistoric  seas  and 
floods.  In  one  of  these  layers — a  layer  that  cropped  out 
under  the  tide  waters — was  gold  galore.  Jack  couldn't 
explain  it,  and  he  didn't  want  to  ;  but  when  he  had 
helped  to  skin  the  gold-bearing  layer  from  the  clay  as  far 
as  he  could  reach,  he  remembered  that  he  had  seen  just 
such  beaches  with  banks  behind  them  elsewhere — on 
Tierra  del  Fuego,  on  New  Island,  on  Lennox,  on  Nava- 
rin,  on  Wollaston,  on  Hermit,  on  Cape  Horn  itself.  He 
had  seen  those  lofty  banks  from  the  decks  of  sealing 
schooners,  and  he  was  game  to  go  to  them  to  see  if  there 
was  gold  in  the  sand  along  the  shore  there  as  there  was 
at  Cape  Virgin.  Why  should  n't  there  be  ?  And  there 
was. 

Nor  were  the  citizens  of  Punta  Arenas  the  only  ones 
excited  by  this  find  of  gold  dust  in  the  sand  at  Cape 
Virgin.  The  Argentine  Government  sent  an  engineer  to 
examine  the  region,  and  the  opinion  formed  by  the  engi- 
neer was  that  "  the  gold-bearing  sands  of  Patagonia  are 


8  THE  GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORN. 

richer  than  those  of  California  and  Australia."  So  says 
an  old  public  document.  Further  than  that,  "  there  was 
much  agitation  in  Buenos  Ayres  among  speculators  in 
mines  who  had  great  hopes  that  grand  fortunes  might  be 
obtained  easily  in  Patagonia.  A  great  number  of  persons 
solicited  from  the  government  concessions  of  mines  of 
gold.  But  as  the  greater  part  of  the  solicitors  had  never 
been  in  Patagonia,  and  were  obliged  to  gather  their 
information  from  others  as  to  the  desirable  points,  it 
happened  that  much  confusion  arose." 

"  Much  confusion "  just  describes  what  happened. 
Many  concessions  were  not  only  issued  on  overlapping 
claims,  but  on  the  same  claims,  and  there  were  many 
heart-burnings  and  feuds  over  patches  of  sand  that  were 
not  worth  anything. 

One  Don  Gregorio  Lezama,  with  a  capital  of  $70,000, 
organized  an  expedition,  and  sent  it  out  with  sluices  and 
wind-mill  pumps  to  supply  the  sluices.  They  reached 
the  diggings  and  set  up  both  sluices  and  pumps.  Then 
they  found  that  when  the  wind  did  not  blow  the  pumps 
could  not  supply  the  sluices  with  water,  and  when  the 
wind  did  blow  the  men  could  not  supply  the  sluices  with 
gold-bearing  sand,  because  that  sand  was  found  only 
where  the  waves  would  then  prevent  the  work  of  the  men. 

So  the  wind-mill  outfit  was  abandoned  and  another 
pumping  arrangement  to  be  worked  by  mules  was  sent 
out.  The  record  contains  this  paragraph  as  to  the  sub- 
sequent doings  : 

The  company  continued  its  operations  for  more  or  less  months, 
and  obtained  some  pounds  of  gold  ;  but  the  general  outlook  was  not 
very  encouraging,  the  work  was  suspended,  and  the  company  liqui- 
dated itself. 

So  it  happened,  of  course,  to  the  majority  of  people 


AFTER   CAPE  HORN  GOLD.  g 

who  went  in  the  rush  to  Cape  Virgin  diggings.  They 
eventually  suspended  operations  and  liquidated  them- 
selves. Nevertheless  a  number  had  "  struck  it  rich,"  and 
that,  as  said,  started  the  search  for  the  precious  metal 
along  the  stormy  coasts  and  under  the  towering  preci- 
pices of  the  islands  away  south  to  Cape  Horn. 

My  first  view  of  a  Cape  Horn  mine  camp  was  obtained 
on  the  east  coast  of  Tierra  del  Fuego.  I  had  taken  pas- 
sage on  an  Argentine  naval  transport  that  was  bound  on 
a  voyage  with  supplies  for  the  officials  and  troops  at 
various  stations  which  the  Argentine  Government  has 
established  in  recent  years  throughout  the  region.  To 
promote  the  development  of  its  territories  the  govern- 
ment carries  prospectors  and  their  outfits  at  very  mod- 
erate charges,  considering  the  kind  of  navigation. 
Accordingly  this  transport  had  on  board  four  men  and 
about  three  tons  of  provisions  and  other  supplies  to  be 
landed  at  El  Paramo,  the  first  mine  camp  established  on 
the  east  coast  of  Tierra  del  Fuego. 

Paramo  is  a  Spanish  word  meaning  desert.  It  is  a 
very  good  name  for  the  camp.  When  one  has  heard  the 
story  of  this  desert  camp  he  will  have  gained  some  idea 
of  the  life  of  a  prospector  and  miner  in  the  Cape  Horn 
region. 

The  founder  of  El  Paramo  was  one  Julius  Popper,  one 
of  the  pioneer  prospectors  of  Tierra  del  Fuego.  Pie  was, 
in  fact,  the  first  prospector  to  make  a  journey  across  the 
island,  though  missionaries,  of  whom  a  curious  story  will 
be  told  at  another  time,  had  explored  it  on  another  quest. 
Popper  was  an  engineer  of  rare  attainments — a  civil, 
mechanical,  and  mining  engineer — good  in  all  three 
branches  :  an  astronomer  ;  a  linguist  who  spoke  and 
wrote  a  dozen  languages  fluently.     He  could  with  equal 


lO  THE   GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORN. 

grace  and  precision  conduct  a  lady  to  dinner  or  knock 
all  the  fight  out  of  a  claim  jumper.  Unfortunately,  when 
just  beginning  to  realize  on  his  investments  in  Tierra  del 
Fuego,  he  died  at  the  hands  of  murderers.  He  was 
poisoned  in  Buenos  Ayres  by  men  whom  he  had  offended 
in  the  south. 

In  the  year  iS86  the  Cape  Virgin  diggings  were  so  far 
worked  out  that  no  more  than  day  wages — a  paltry  $5  a 
day,  as  the  miners  call  it — could  be  had.  Only  the 
plodders  would  remain  there,  and  Julius  Popper  was 
never  a  plodder.  So  an  exploring  company  of  eighteen 
was  gotten  together,  with  pack  horses  and  a  mining  out- 
fit, together  with  arms,  ammunition,  and  a  permit  from 
the  Argentine  Government  to  use  them  whenever  neces- 
sary'. 

The  landing  was  made  at  Future  Bay,  opposite  Punta 
Arenas.  It  was  in  the  month  of  September,  the  spring 
of  the  southern  latitude.  Snow  lay  so  deep  on  the  moun- 
tains that  a  track  had  to  be  cleared  with  shovels  for  miles. 
Then  the  brush  was  elsewhere  so  thick  that  axes  had  to 
be  used  to  open  a  passage  for  miles,  but  after  five  days' 
labor  they  got  to  Santa  Maria  River,  where  they  found 
eight  men  at  work  on  a  sluice  taking  out  about  700  grains 
of  gold  a  day.  This  was  mere  day  wages,  and  they 
pushed  on  until  they  reached  Useless  Bay,  and  then  took 
an  easterly  course  which  they  held  clear  across  the  island, 
reaching  the  coast  at  the  north  of  San  Sebastian  Bay, 

Here,  in  a  tongue  of  sand  that  encloses  the  northeast 
side  of  the  bay,  they  found  the  gold  they  were  looking 
for  in  a  layer  of  black  sand,  exactly  like  the  layer  that 
had  been  found  at  Cape  Virgin,  although  there  was  no 
bank  of  any  kind  behind  the  beach. 

Having  staked  claims  here  they  went  away  south,  dis- 


AFTER   CAPE  HORN  GOLD.  II 

covering  and  naming  capes,  rivers,  and  ranges  of  hills, 
with  here  and  there  more  placer  gold.  It  was  an  open 
prairie  country,  with  a  species  of  sagebrush  on  it  such  as 
is  found  in  Patagonia,  but  instead  of  a  desert  they  here 
found  plenty  of  water  everywhere,  and  sometimes  too 
much  in  the  shape  of  swamps  ;  but,  unfortunately,  the 
gold  was  usually  found  where  there  was  not  a  running 
stream  within  miles.  It  was  apparent  that  all  sluices 
would  have  to  be  supplied  by  means  of  pumps. 

Eventually  they  fell  foul  of  the  Indians.  A  shower  of 
arrows  came  at  them  from  the  brush,  but  all  fell  short. 
The  number  of  Indians  was  estimated  at  eighty,  armed 
with  bows.  The  eighteen  white  men  turned  loose  Win- 
chesters in  reply,  the  Indians  lying  down  while  the  fire 
lasted,  and  jumping  up  to  discharge  their  arrows  when  it 
slackened.  By  the  time  the  magazines  of  the  rifles  were 
empty  the  Indians  abandoned  the  fight.  One  gets  an 
idea  of  the  quality  of  the  white  fighters  from  the  fact 
that  but  two  of  the  Indians  were  killed,  and  the  further 
fact  that  when  the  fight  was  over  Mr.  Popper  posed  his 
men  in  the  attitude  of  troops  repelling  a  charge,  took  a 
position  himself  astride  one  of  the  dead  Indians,  and 
then  had  the  outfit  photographed  for  subsequent  use,  on 
the  cover  of  a  pamphlet  in  which  he  described  the 
journey  he  had  made. 

To  the  camp  called  Paramo,  that  was  established  in 
consequence  of  Popper's  expedition,  came,  as  said,  the 
Argentine  naval  transport,  bringing  four  men  and  some 
tons  of  supplies,  on  the  morning  of  May  12th. 

Considering  its  age,  the  number  of  men  employed — 
from  thirty  to  forty — ,  and  the  fact  that  it  is  also  a  gov- 
ernment station,  having  a  prefect,  a  chief  of  police,  a 
schoolmaster,  a  secretary  to  the  prefect,  and  a  squad  of 


12  TJl£   GOLD  DtGClI^GS  OF  CAPE  HORN. 

soldiers  to  maintain  the  dignity  of  the  officials,  it  was  a 
remarkable  camp.  There  was  just  three  buildings  in 
sight — a  boarding-house  for  the  miners,  a  home  for  the 
mine  bosses,  and  a  combined  stable  and  storehouse. 
The  camp  of  the  government  was  said  to  be  located 
two  leagues  back  in  the  country.  The  buildings  were 
of  wood,  roofed  with  corrugated,  galvanized  iron.  They 
were  huddled  together  so  that  they  looked  from  the  ship 
as  one  building.  They  were  on  the  usual  mine-camp 
model  of  North  America — one  story  high,  box  shaped, 
and  with  small  windows  and  no  superfluous  doors.  A 
barbed  wire  corral  stood  at  one  side  of  the  buildings, 
which  were  located  so  near  the  beach  that  a  high  surf 
at  spring  tide  was  sure  to  send  the  foam  quite  to  the 
foundations  on  which  they  stood.  Indeed,  one  of  them 
was  protected  from  the  surf  by  a  sort  of  a  wooden  sea 
wall. 

Beyond  the  houses  stretched  a  low  yellowish  grassy 
plain  that  was  very  like  a  Nebraska  prairie  in  appear- 
ance, and  a  league  away  to  the  north  rose  a  low  range 
of  treeless  hills. 

The  diggings  lay  right  in  the  beach.  "When  Popper 
first  discovered  the  claim  the  black  sand  that  contained 
the  gold  lay  in  a  bed  of  from  three  to  four  inches  thick, 
that  was  for  the  most  part  under  a  layer  of  coarse 
gravel  two  to  three  feet  thick,  though  in  some  places 
the  black  sand  was  found  free  of  any  cover  at  low  tide. 

Of  the  richness  of  the  diggings  in  the  early  days  it 
may  be  said  that  the  mine  was  discovered  in  September, 
1886.  Popper  had  to  return  to  Buenos  Ayres  and 
organize  a  company  to  work  the  deposit  as  well  as  per- 
fect his  title  to  the  claims  according  to  Argentine  law, 
and  then  ship  a  steam  pumping  plant  with   sluices  and 


AFTER   CAPE  HORN  GOLD.  1 3 

material  for  the  camp  to  the  locality.  This  all  took 
time,  and  it  was  not  until  the  end  of  the  following  ant- 
arctic winter  that  he  got  his  plant  in  operation.  He  was 
then  able  to  pass  an  average  of  fifty  cubic  yards  of  sand 
through  his  sluices  per  day.  From  this  he  cleaned  up 
in  the  course  of  the  first  year,  after  the  discovery,  154 
pounds  (weight  avoirdupois)  of  pure  gold. 

As  another  indication  of  the  richness  of  this  territory, 
I  can  say  that  we  took  on  a  government  official  who  had 
been  at  the  station  two  leagues  back  considerably  less 
than  a  year,  but  he  had  cleaned  up  enough  gold  to 
satisfy  him.  He  was  going  home  to  Buenos  Ayres,  rich. 
He  had  worked  diggings  outside  the  Paramo  claim,  using 
common  sluice  boxes. 

While  this  easily-obtained  gold-bearing  sand  was  being 
worked  off,  the  miners  observed  that  the  supply  was  re- 
newed somewhat  by  every  storm  that  raged,  and  further, 
that  when  a  storm  happened  to  come  at  the  time  of  the 
spring  tides,  a  very  much  larger  quantity  of  gold-bearing 
sand  was  washed  up  by  the  waves  than  in  ordinary 
storms.  This  had  happened,  too,  at  Cape  Virgin,  but 
the  renewal  of  the  gold  supply  by  the  storms  was  not  so 
notable  there.  However,  it  appears  that  eventually  a 
time  came  when  the  miners  at  Paramo  were  able  to  work 
off  all  the  black  sand  between  storms.  So  it  happened 
— so  it  happens  in  these  days  that  the  miners  sit  down 
and  smoke  their  pipes  till  the  storm  comes  and  goes. 
After  the  surf  of  the  storm  is  gone  and  the  tide  runs  out, 
a  fresh  layer  of  black  sand  is  found  with  gold  in  it.  The 
miners  say  the  sand  is  washed  up  from  a  streak  that 
crops  out  somewhere  below  low  tide.  They  think  that 
this  layer  could  be  reached  by  sinking  a  shaft  near  the 
buildings,  but  they  can't  sink  a  shaft  profitably  on  ac- 


14  THE   GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORN. 

count  of  the  water  coming  in.  The  black  sand  lies  on 
clay,  and  all  the  layer,  and  the  other  layers  above  it,  are, 
so  to  speak,  afloat  with  water.  So  they  work  only  after 
a  heavy  surf.  The  weather,  on  the  average,  keeps  them 
busy  about  half  the  time. 

The  land  is  controlled  by  a  German- Argentine  corpor- 
ation, of  which  Herr  Carlos  Backhausen  and  Herr  Bruno 
Ansorge  are  superintendent  and  foreman.  The  men 
work  the  sand  on  shares,  and  do  so  well  that,  paradoxi- 
cal as  it  may  seem,  there  is  difficulty  in  keeping  a  full 
sansc  of  men  at  work.  The  trouble  is,  that,  as  soon  as 
the  men  get  a  few  ounces  of  dust  to  their  credit,  they 
must  take  it  and  go  away  to  Punta  Arenas  and  swap  it 
for  such  joys  as  may  be  had  in  that  tiny  metropolis. 

At  Paramo,  on  the  beach,  they  now  use  a  combination 
of  wooden  sluices  and  a  copper-plate  machine  with 
which  all  gold  miners  are  familiar,  but  which  could  not 
be  briefly  described  here.  The  riffles  in  the  sluices  save 
the  coarser  gold,  while  the  mercury  on  the  copper  plates 
takes  up  the  flour  gold  as  it  drifts  away  over  the  plates. 
Water  for  all  the  machines  is  pumped  from  the  sea,  and 
it  is  worth  while  telling  that  experiments  there  show 
that  some  pay  streaks  can  be  profitably  worked  with 
salt  water  when  fresh  water  fails  to  save  a  satisfactory 
return. 

Geologists  find  this  gold-bearing  layer  of  black  sand 
(it  is  a  magnetic  iron  sand)  a  most  interesting  study. 
They  say  the  deposit  at  Paramo  is  a  continuation  of  that 
found  at  Cape  Virgin,  and  that  deposit  is  found  at  inter- 
vals on  the  Patagonia  coast  to  the  Gallegos  River.  The 
geologists  are  even  confident  that  it  crops  out  at  inter- 
vals for  over  a  thousand  miles  along  the  Patagonia 
coast — always  below  the  water  line.     Of  course,  this  bed 


AFTER  CAPE  HORN-  GOLD.  I5 

of  sand  was  deposited  where  it  is  now  found  by  the  ac- 
tion of  water,  and  it  must  have  existed  at  one  time  in 
the  form  of  a  reef  or  vein  a  thousand  miles  long  in  some 
prehistoric  range  of  mountains.  What  a  lead  that  would 
have  been  for  some  lone  prospector  ! 

Returning  north  from  Paramo  on  the  east  coast  of 
Tierra  del  Fuego,  the  transport  entered  the  Straits  of 
Magellan  and  went  to  Punta  Arenas.  From  Punta 
Arenas  we  went  down  through  Cockburn  Channel  to  the 
Antarctic  Ocean,  and  then,  turning  east,  cruised  through 
Brecknock  Pass,  Desolation  Bay,  Whale  Sound,  Darwin 
Sound,  and  Beagle  Channel  via  the  Northwest  arm. 
Thence  we  coasted  along  east  and  up  through  the  Straits 
of  Le  Maire  on  the  north  side  of  Staten  Island,  which 
we  followed  to  St.  John  Bay  on  the  east  end.  These 
are  positively  the  wildest,  most  dangerous  waters  in  the 
world.  As  will  be  told,  the  hidden  reefs  and  the  whirl- 
ing tornadoes  formed  combinations  that  made  experi- 
enced travellers  look  serious,  although  in  a  steamer  that 
was  as  good  a  seaboat  as  ever  floated.  And  yet  the 
prospectors  of  Punta  Arenas  have  sailed  all  over  that 
route,  summer  and  winter,  in  twenty-five  catboats,  looking 
for  gold. 

At  Ushuaia,  the  capital  of  Argentine  Tierra  del  Fuego, 
a  small  village  in  Beagle  Channel,  I  fell  in  with  Harry 
Hansen,  a  Punta  Arenas  prospector,  who  for  six  months 
had  been  cruising  about  the  islands  to  the  south  of  the 
channel,  and  was  on  his  way  home  very  much  disgusted 
with  the  life  of  a  prospector.  He,  with  a  brother,  had 
faced  every  kind  of  a  storm  known  to  the  Cape  Horn 
region.  They  had  been  obliged  to  live  for  weeks,  as  the 
Indians  do,  on  limpets  and  clams  only.  Their  only 
home  had  been  the  tiny  cabin  of  a  25-foot  sloop.     As  a 


1 6  THE  GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORI^. 

result  of  the  six  months  of  hardship  and  work  they  had 
about  twenty-five  ounces  of  gold  dust.  So  they  sold 
their  sloop  and  took  passage  with  us  for  the  Gallegos 
River.  As  we  steamed  along  they  told  stories  of  gold 
hunting  around  Cape  Horn. 

Lennox  Island  is  just  now  the  centre  of  interest  in  that 
region.  Lennox  has  high  banks  and  sandy  beaches,  ex- 
actly like  those  of  Cape  Virgin,  and  the  gold  is  found  in 
a  layer  of  black  sand  that  crops  out  below  sea  level,  and 
is  washed  up  within  reach  by  the  waves.  But,  according 
to  the  Hansens,  the  best  of  the  diggings  there  were 
worked  out.  There  was  no  longer  any  fresh,  unworked 
ground,  with  its  layers  of  dust  that  could  be  scraped  up 
with  a  table  knife  at  the  rate  of  three  kilos  a  day,  and  so 
Lennox  was  not  worth  the  attention  of  any  enterprising 
prospector.  The  plodders  who  were  willing  to  carry 
mercury  to  put  in  the  sluices,  and  to  sit  down  and  wait 
for  the  storms  to  bring  up  fresh  sand  could  make  a 
couple  of  guineas  a  day  easily  enough,  but  the  Hansens 
did  not  want  any  such  wages  as  that. 

Under  the  point  of  New  Island,  very  appropriately 
called  the  Asses'  Ears,  a  wide  beach  was  pointed  out  as 
the  location  where  an  extraordinary  find  was  made.  A 
party  from  Punta  Arenas  had  landed  there,  and  had  sunk 
a  wide  shaft  several  feet  into  the  sand,  looking  for  the 
gold-bearing  layer,  but  without  finding  it,  although  the 
indications  along  shore  were  good.  They  abandoned  the 
spot  after  a  day  or  two  and  went  away.  Then  another 
party  came  along  some  time  later,  and  just  for  luck  con- 
cluded to  sink  the  well  a  little  deeper.  That  was  the 
luckiest  conclusion  they  ever  came  to. 

Within  one  foot  they  struck  pay  dirt,  took  out  over 
ICO  pounds  weight  (48  kilos)  within  a  month,  and  sailed 


AFTER   CAPE  HORAT  GOLD.  If 

away  content.  Their  story,  when  told  at  Punta  Arenas, 
sent  a  host  of  eager  fellows  down  there  to  get  what  was 
left,  and,  singular  to  relate,  about  every  man  who  went 
there  among  the  first  three  boat-loads  did  well.  But 
when  I  was  passing  this  point  only  the  smoke  of  the 
camp-fire  of  one  lone  gold-digger  could  be  seen  faintly 
beneath  the  Asses'  Ears.  He  was  the  last  of  the  plod- 
ders, according  to  the  Hansens,  and  was  likely  to  become 
as  rich  and  as  mean  as  some  folks  they  knew  in  Punta 
Arenas — men  willing  to  get  rich  by  saving  and  scrimping 
out  of  a  paltry  %\o  a  day. 

And  then  there  was  the  little  bay  on  the  Tierra  del 
Fuego  mainland,  called  Port  Pantaloons.  No  man  of 
any  experience  ever  thought  of  landing  there  to  look  for 
gold.  One  glance  was  sufficient  to  show  that  no  gold 
could  be  found  there.  So  everybody  supposed,  at  least. 
Instead  of  steep  banks,  showing  the  well-known  layer 
formation  of  Cape  Virgin,  was  a  gentle,  grassy  slope,  with 
a  brook  that  came  splashing  down  a  woody  ravine.  It 
was  a  pretty  enough  place — in  fact,  the  scenery  was  prob- 
ably what  made  a  party  of  seven  greenhorns  from  Punta 
Arenas,  out  with  a  little  schooner,  put  in  there  and  land. 

Did  I  believe  in  the  old  saying  "  A  fool  for  luck  "  ? 
Well,  if  I  did  n't  I  would  after  living  in  Punta  Arenas 
a  while.  These  seven  greenhorns  made  a  camp  and 
went  washing  for  gold  at  Port  Pantaloons.  At  the  end 
of  five  weeks  to  a  day  from  the  time  they  left  Punta 
Arenas  they  were  back  again,  and  had  exactly  four  kilos 
of  gold  (say  nine  pounds)  each.  And  every  man  of 
them  took  the  first  steamer  for  Europe,  intending  to  set- 
tle down  and  live  on  the  interest  of  his  money  instead 
of  having  a  good  time  in  Punta  Arenas,  as  he  might  have 
had. 


l8  THE   GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORN. 

Of  course,  there  were  a  lot  of  people  at  Punta  Arenas 
Avho  made  haste  to  go  down  to  Port  Pantaloons  to  clean 
up  what  these  greenhorns  had  left  ;  but,  remarkable  to 
tell,  when  the  experienced  miners  came  to  wash  where 
the  greenhorns  had  been,  there  was  found  nothing  left 
to  clean  up.  The  greenhorns  had  found  a  pocket,  and 
had  cleaned  it  themselves. 

And  then  there  were  the  Cape  Horn  group  and  New 
Year's  Island  off  the  north  coast  of  Staten  Island,  The 
Hansens  had  visited  both  localities  and  had  found,  as 
they  said  : 

Plenty  of  the  stuff,  but  it  was  too  fine  for  our  sluices  without 
mercur)'.  Besides,  we  did  n't  have  a  proper  ship  for  these  waters. 
She  was  only  a  ten-tonner.  If  you  want  the  gold  you  can  have  it, 
but  nobody  from  Punta  Arenas  will  help  you  get  it.  It  takes  too 
much  capital  to  set  up  copper-plate  machines  there,  and  those  that 
have  the  capital  have  n't  the  pluck  to  face  the  sea  in  these  waters.  I 
suppose  you  could  average  fifteen  grammes  a  day  without  mercury  if 
that  would  satisfy  you. 

But  of  all  spots  in  the  Cape  Horn  region,  Sloggett 
Bay,  on  the  south  coast  of  Tierra  del  Fuego,  about  forty 
miles  west  of  the  Strait  of  Le  Maire,  is  the  most  tantal- 
izing. More  expeditions  have  been  fitted  out  in  Punta 
Arenas  to  go  to  Sloggett  Bay  than  to  any  two  gold  dig- 
gings besides.  Almost  every  expedition  has  gotten  gold, 
and  yet  never  did  an  expedition  there  pay  the  outfitters. 
Indeed,  more  lives  have  been  lost  trying  for  Sloggett 
Bay  gold  than  at  any  two  points  besides.  And  that  is 
saying  a  good  deal. 

There  is  a  man  now  in  Punta  Arenas  who  went  down 
to  this  bay  in  a  well-built  little  schooner,  which  was 
manned  by  fourteen  men  all  told.  They  had  heard  of 
the  gold  found  there — gold  "  in  nuggets  as  big  as  kernels 


AFTER   CAPE  HORN  GOLD.  I9 

of  corn  " — ,  and  nothing  should  stop  them  in  the  work  of 
getting  it,  they  said.  They  moored  their  little  craft  with 
long  cables  and  chains,  and  made  everything  as  snug 
and  safe  as  the  most  experienced  sailors  and  sealers 
could  suggest.  Then  they  went  to  work,  stripping  off 
the  six-foot  layer  of  gravel  that  overlies  the  gold-bearing 
sand  and  carrying  the  latter  up  out  of  reach  of  the 
waves  ;  for  they  had  to  work  at  low  tide.  The  gold  is 
all  under  water  at  high  tide. 

They  were  a  hardy  lot  and  enthusiastic.  They  worked 
all  of  every  low  tide,  and  ate  and  slept  during  high  water. 
They  got  on  well  with  their  work,  for  a  time,  but  they 
made  a  terrible  mistake.  They  slept  in  their  schooner 
and  kept  no  lookout — trusted  to  their  moorings  to  hold 
them  fast.  One  night  they  went  to  sleep,  as  usual,  well- 
tired  from  hard  labor.  Then  came  one  of  those  fear- 
some gales  that  characterize  the  region.  With  a  speed 
and  power  that  are  beyond  description,  it  picked  up  the 
schooner  on  the  crest  of  a  wave  and  dashed  it  into 
kindling  wood  on  the  beach— dashed  out  the  lives  of 
thirteen  of  the  men  as  well.  One  only  was  left  alive, 
and,  curiously  enough,  he  was  entirely  uninjured. 

*'  The  first  I  knew  that  there  was  a  storm,"  he  said, 
"was  when  I  woke  up  lying  on  the  beach,  with  the 
wreckage  around  me." 

This  man  did  just  what  might  be  expected,  they  say, 
of  any  one  of  the  Cape  Horn  miners.  He  camped  on 
the  beach,  and  worked  away  at  the  pay  streak  as  best  he 
could,  until  rescued  by  other  prospectors  ;  and  he  is  still 
a  gold  seeker  in  the  Cape  Horn  region. 

Sloggett  Bay  is  really  no  bay  at  all.  It  is  a  roadstead 
with  sheltering  walls  on  the  northerly  and  westerly  sides, 
and  a  very  good  bottom  to  hold  an  anchor.     It  is  about 


20  THE   GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORN. 

as  much  of  a  harbor  as  a  ship  v/ould  find  on  the  bar  off 
Sandy  Hook,  save  that  there  are  mountains  along  shore 
instead  of  low,  sandy  beaches.  For  a  northerly  or 
westerly  gale  the  shelter  is  as  good  as  any  one  could  wish, 
but  the  waves  from  the  southeast  drive  in  with  appalling 
fury.  Indeed,  any  southerly  gale  is  dangerous,  for  the 
whirling  squalls  slew  a  small  boat  around  until  broadside 
to  the  combers,  and  then  the  end  comes  before  the  un- 
fortunate gold  hunter  has  time  to  think  twice. 

The  gold  of  Slogget  Bay  is  marvellous  gold.  It  is,  as 
said,  nugget  gold  as  distinguished  from  gold  dust.  The 
traditional  "  nuggets  as  big  as  kernels  of  corn  "  are  to  be 
had  there.  I  have  seen  them  myself,  and  when  one  has 
seen  a  handful  of  such  stuff  he  does  not  wonder  that 
prospectors  keep  trying  again  and  again,  in  spite  of  the 
fair  certainty  of  death. 

The  pay  streak  at  Sloggett  Bay  lies  under  water,  as  it 
does  elsewhere  throughout  the  Cape  Horn  region,  but  it 
is  harder  to  get,  because  it  can  hardly  be  said  to  crop 
out  at  all.  One  must  strip  off  about  six  feet  of  sand  and 
gravel  at  low  tide,  and  then  shovel  out  the  pay  streak, 
carry  it  up  clear  of  high  tide,  and  there  wash  out  the 
gold.  Of  course,  when  the  tide  comes  in  again  the  space 
stripped  of  the  covering  sand  is  recovered,  and  stripping 
must  be  done  over  again  at  the  next  low  tide.  That  is 
very  discouraging  work,  but  no  form  of  coffer  dam  yet 
devised  by  the  miners  has  saved  it. 

They  all  agree  that  there  is  only  one  way  in  which  the 
Sloggett  Bay  field  can  be  worked,  and  they  think  that 
that  way  would  probably  fail  too.  The  ideal  Sloggett 
Bay  outfit  would  be  a  big  steam  dredge,  fitted  to  scoop 
up  sand,  gravel,  and  pay  streak  all  together,  and  after 
running  the  stuff  over  the  sluices  and  copper  plates,  to 


After  cape  horn  gold.  2t 

discharge  the  debris  in  a  lighter,  that  could  be  towed 
away  and  emptied  in  water  too  deep  to  work.  If  such 
an  outfit  could  hold  on  for  a  week,  they  say  it  would  pay 
for  itself.  If  it  could  hold  on  for  a  month  it  would  make 
its  owners  rich.  That  it  might  hold  on  for  a  week  or 
two  is  reasonably  probable,  but  the  chances  are  that  it 
would  become  a  mass  of  wreckage  even  before  it  reached 
the  bay.  The  prospectors  say  that  no  dredge  ever  built 
for  harbor  work  could  stand  a  southeast  gale  there  for 
an  hour,  and  yet  the  sailors  among  them  say  that  a 
dredge  built  specially  for  the  work  on  the  lightship 
model,  with  proper  ground  tackle  for  mooring  fore  and 
aft,  could  stand  the  gales  there  as  well  as  the  storms  on 
the  Georges  Bank  of  Massachusetts  are  weathered  by  the 
lightship. 

Among  the  stories  the  miners  tell  of  the  luck  they 
have  had  is  one  that,  whether  true  or  false,  is  interesting, 
for  even  if  false  it  shows  that  the  man  who  told  it  was 
an  original  liar  ;  as  a  matter  of  fact,  I  have  no  reason 
for  doubting  the  story.  Mr.  Theo  Benfield,  v/hom  I  met 
in  Punta  Arenas,  said  that  during  a  journey  from  the 
strait  up  the  coast  he  stopped  one  day  under  one  of  the 
vertical  earth  banks  called  barancas  in  that  country  to 
pick  out  a  fossil  that  he  saw  protruding.  The  relic 
proved  to  be  a  part  of  a  mastodon's  lower  jaw,  having 
two  teeth  still  in  place.  It  was  in  bad  condition,  and  he 
was  about  to  throw  it  away,  when  he  saw  that  in  a  split 
in  the  top  and  side  of  one  tooth  was  a  bit  of  some  for- 
eign substance  to  which  he  applied  his  knife.  He  found 
that  it  was  gold,  that  had,  as  he  believed,  been  deposited 
there  in  fine  grains  by  the  action  of  water,  and  that  the 
grains  had  united  as  deposited.  The  gold,  as  he  says, 
was  in  a  split  in  the  tooth  evidently  made  there  when  the 


22  THE   GOLD  DIGGINGS  OP  CAPE  HORN. 

jaw  was  broken.  He  related  the  story  in  support  of  a 
theory  in  regard  to  the  origin  of  nuggets  which  he  held, 
thus  :  Gold,  as  it  comes  from  the  broken-down  quartz 
veins  is  usually  very  fine,  but  as  the  grains  are  carried 
along  by  the  water  they  fall  into  little  cavities,  where,  by 
the  action  of  chemicals  in  the  water,  they  are  united. 
The  split  in  the  old  tooth  had  at  some  time  been  lying  in  a 
place  where  gold  dust  had  silted  into  it  until  it  was  about 
full,  and  the  particles  uniting  had  formed  a  curious  nug- 
get. Unfortunately  Mr.  Benfield  was  more  interested  at 
that  time  in  getting  gold  than  in  questions  relating  to 
the  origin  of  nuggets,  and  so  smashed  the  tooth  to  get 
the  stuff.  He  got,  he  says,  over  eight  grammes  from  the 
tooth.  If  his  story  be  true,  he  might  have  obtained 
many  times  the  value  of  that  much  gold  for  the  relic 
intact,  but  he  did  not  think  of  that  at  the  time,  and  so 
we  have  only  one  man's  word  in  relation  to  the  matter. 

It  is  a  remarkable  fact  that,  in  spite  of  all  the  pros- 
pecting done,  no  gold-quartz  veins  have  yet  been  found. 
Louis  Figue,  a  merchant  at  Ushuaia,  in  the  Beagle  Chan- 
nel, showed  me  a  specimen  of  nickel  ore  that  had  yielded 
a  remarkable  per  cent,  on  the  first  assay  ;  but  the  only 
bit  of  gold  ore  I  saw  or  heard  of  was  a  small  piece  of 
free-milling  stuff  belonging  to  Bruno  Ansorge  of  Para- 
mo. It  was  rich,  but  where  the  vein  was  none  could  tell, 
for  it  was  from  a  bit  of  drift  rock  called  float  by  the 
miners,  and  had  been  picked  up  between  Useless  and 
San  Sebastian  Bays. 

Very  likely  the  placer  gold  found  in  all  the  streams  of 
Tierra  del  Fuego  (stream  gold  as  distinguished  from  that 
in  the  beach),  and  that  in  the  streams  emptying  into  the 
Straits  of  Magellan,  comes  from  veins  yet  to  be  found  up 
in  the  mountains  where  the  streams  rise.     Very  likely 


AFTER   CAPE  HORN  GOLD.  23 

systematic  search  would  discover  the  veins.  But  the 
search  would  have  to  be  made  under  circumstances  that 
would  make  the  fair-weather  prospectors  of  Colorado 
and  the  grubstake  eaters  of  the  Mojave  desert  gasp. 
The  mountains  of  the  Cape  Horn  region  are  snow-topped 
the  year  round.  The  cold  is  not  so  intense  as  the  early 
travellers  would  make  one  believe,  but  there  is  a  strength 
and  a  twist  to  the  gales — especially  a  twist — that  is  be- 
yond description.  And  the  gales  come  every  day  in 
summer  and  every  week  in  winter.  Expeditions  have 
traversed  Tierra  del  Fuego  with  horses,  but  the  cheapest 
and  the  most  comfortable  way  (in  spite  of  the  danger) 
to  prospect  the  region  is  from  a  well-found  boat. 
Moreover,  every  land  expedition  must  contain  enough 
men  to  keep  up  a  military  guard,  because  of  the  hos- 
tility of  the  Indians,  while  two  well-armed,  sober  men, 
can  defend  a  well-found  boat  from  the  savages,  and  if 
skilful  and  cool  can  usually  escape  the  danger  of  storms. 

But  neither  from  boats  nor  from  a  land  expedition  has 
any  one  as  yet  been  able  to  explore  the  higher  parts  of 
the  mountain  sides.  Indeed,  where  nothing  else  prevents 
it,  the  tropical  luxuriance  of  the  evergreen  beeches  and 
magnolia  brush  heads  off  the  hardy  prospector.  It  is 
hard  work  climbing  up  rocky  gulches  and  declivities 
under  the  most  favorable  circumstances,  but  when  one 
must  face  fierce  gales  of  wind  and  at  the  same  time  hew 
his  way  through  a  solid  mass  of  brush  covering  the 
whole  space  to  be  explored,  the  task  becomes  too  great 
even  for  a  Yankee  prospector.  It  never  has  been  accom- 
plished, and  possibly  it  never  will  be  accomplished  ;  but, 
as  they  say  very  often  down  there,  who  knows  ? 

There  is  not  a  mine  camp  in  all  the  Cape  Horn  region 
south  of  the  strait,  though  Paramo,  with  its  three  build- 


24  THE   GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORN. 

ings,  and  say  thirty  men,  is  known  as  a  camp.  The 
placers,  as  found  on  almost  every  sandy  beach  of  the 
region,  are  all  soon  worked  over,  and  thereafter  pay  only 
day  wages.  So  no  camp  or  village  springs  up,  as  would 
happen  were  a  rich  true  fissure  vein  to  be  found.  But 
Ushuaia,  in  the  Beagle  Channel,  the  capital  of  Argentine 
Tierra  del  Fuego,  has  three  stores  and  a  small  mixed 
population,  besides  the  troops  that  maintain  Argentine 
dignity,  and,  with  its  occasional  Indian  visitors,  its  happy- 
go-lucky  architecture,  and  its  heaps  of  empty  bottles,  is 
not  unlike  a  North  American  mine  town. 

The  headquarters  of  the  Cape  Horn  miners  will 
be  found  at  Punta  Arenas.  The  peculiarities  which 
makes  Punta  Arenas  at  once  one  of  the  most  interesting, 
and  one  of  the  most  disappointing  towns  in  the  world, 
will  be  described  in  the  next  chapter  but  it  may  be  said 
now  that  miners'  supplies — picks,  pans,  clothing,  and 
food — are  cheaper  here  than  at  any  other  miners'  sup- 
ply town  in  the  world.  But  while  a  man  may  get  these 
things  at  a  low  price,  he  has  to  buy  a  boat  instead  of  the 
burros  he  would  buy  in  the  States  to  carry  his  outfit.  A 
couple  of  burros  cost  say  $35  in  Colorado,  but  here  he 
must  buy  a  sloop  or  a  catboat,  and  he  ought  to  buy  a 
schooner  fifty  feet  long  instead.  Now  any  kind  of  a 
boat  fit  to  carry  even  the  amphibious  prospector  of  the 
Cape  Horn  region  costs  at  least  $100  in  gold,  and  must 
be  fitted  out  at  a  cost  of  from  $25  to  $100  more,  not 
to  mention  the  mining  outfit  proper. 

The  prospecting  sloop  of  the  Cape  Horn  region  is 
usually  of  the  model  of  the  little  oyster  sloops  to  be 
found  about  the  harbor  of  New  York.  The  hold  is 
stowed  full  of  provisions,  tools  for  mining,  and  lumber 
for  sluices.     Naturally   these  prospectors  carry  a  much 


AFTER   CAPE  HORN  GOLD.  2$ 

better  supply  of  food  than  prospectors  elsewhere  do. 
The  Rocky  Mountain  prospectors  with  their  burros  must 
needs  be  content  with  meal,  beans,  bacon,  and,  perhaps, 
coffee,  but  in  the  Cape  Horn  region  they  carry  a  great 
variety  of  stuff  in  tin  cans  and  Chili  claret  by  the  half 
barrel.  All  this  costs  money,  but  it  is  none  too  good  for 
that  climate.  And  even  the  best-provided  outfits  are 
sometimes  away  from  home  so  long  that  the  supplies  are 
exhausted. 

They  sail  away  south  feeling  quite  certain  that  they 
will  be  back  soon  with  their  vessel  ballasted  with  gold, 
but  the  shortest  time  spent  away  from  port  by  any  party 
I  heard  of  was  that  of  the  seven  who  returned  from  Port 
Pantaloons  in  five  weeks.  The  Hansens  were  away 
eleven  months  in  1892-93. 

Every  year  some  sail  away,  and  the  sail  disappears 
beneath  the  white  peak  of  Mt.  Sarmiento,  plainly  seen 
from  the  water  front  of  Punta  Arenas.  After  three  or 
four  months  the  "  White  Wings  outfit  "  or  the  "  Mary  G. 
outfit "  is  casually  mentioned  by  the  bar-room  groups  as 
one  that  should  be  heard  from  before  long.  Two  or  three 
months  later  the  outfit  is  mentioned  frequently  and  with 
ominous  looks  and  shakings  of  the  head,  while  an  anx- 
ious-faced wife  or  mother  is  seen  hurrying  to  the  beach 
whenever  a  sail  appears  in  the  south,  to  learn  if  it  be  the 
one  she  thinks  of  as  she  lies  awake  every  night  listening 
to  the  Cape  Horn  gales.  She  goes  down  quickly,  but 
she  comes  back  slowly  and  with  a  dry  throat  as  she 
learns  that  it  is  neither  the  While  Wings  nor  the 
Mary  G. 

The  region  seems  but  a  narrow  space  as  one  looks  at 
the  maps,  but  it  is  a  wide  one  with  labyrinthian  channels 
and  hidden  bays,  the  ports  of  many  a  missing  sloop  and 


26  THE   GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORN. 

catboat  of  which  never  a  trace  will  be  found  to  tell  the 
tale  of  disaster.  It  is  a  region  where  no  man  with  a  wife 
or  other  person  depending  on  him  should  enter,  but  for 
the  young  and  independent  fellow,  who  can  gain  vigor 
and  courage  in  facing  the  mad  freaks  of  an  Antarctic 
gale,  there  is  no  place  better  than  that  beyond  the  Straits 
of  Magellan.  He  may  not  get  rich — the  chances  are 
that  he  '11  be  glad  to  work  his  way  north  in  the  stoke 
hole  of  some  steamer — but  he  will  have  had  an  experience 
that  will  make  him  contented  to  live  thereafter  in  the 
milder  region  of  Uncle  Sam's  domain,  and  will,  more- 
over, fit  him  to  make  his  way  there  better  than  he  could 
have  been  prepared  in  any  other  way. 


CHAPTER  II. 

THE  CAPE  HORN  METROPOLIS. 

HTHIS  is  the  story  of  what  maybe  called  the  Cape  Horn 
'  metropolis,  for  it  is  the  story  of  a  town  which, 
though  a  village  in  population,  is  the  business  centre  of 
the  region  extending  from  Port  Desire,  on  the  Patagonia 
coast,  to  the  little  island  whose  southern  angle  is  called 
Cape  Horn,  and  from  the  Falkland  Islands  on  the  east 
to  the  limits  of  the  islands  on  the  west  coast  of  the  south- 
ern continent.  Moreover,  it  is  a  town  whose  character- 
istics are  absolutely  astounding,  even  to  an  experienced 
traveller  who  visits  it  for  the  first  time,  and,  curiously 
enough,  the  more  he  may  have  read  and  heard  about  it 
the  more  he  is  likely  to  be  astonished  when  he  at  last 
sees  it  himself. 

"  La  Colonia  de  Magallanes,"  as  Punta  Arenas  is 
styled  in  the  public  documents  of  Chili,  is  more  than 
fifty  years  old,  and  that,  to  the  traveller  looking  at  it 
from  a  ship's  deck,  is  one  of  the  most  astonishing  state- 
ments made  about  the  town.  On  "the  21st  of  April, 
1843,  the  Government  of  Chili  planted  the  tri-color  ban- 
ner in  the  ancient  port  of  Famine,  thus  taking  posses- 
sion, in  the  name  of  Chili,  of  the  Straits  of  Magallanes," 
as  the  Chilian  record  says. 

27 


28  THE   GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORN. 

It  is  tolerably  easy  to  guess  that  the  Chili  Government 
did  this  act  more  from  a  sentimental  desire  to  hold  pos- 
session of  the  territory  that  had  been  famous  in  history, 
than  from  any  expectation  that  the  region  would  be  worth 
the  expense  of  holding. 

Besides  the  desire  to  hold  ground  with  historical  as- 
sociations, the  government  wanted  a  penal  colony  that 
would  be  a  very  long  way  from  the  capital.  A  penal 
colony,  it  Avas  argued,  would  not  only  hold  troublesome 
convicts,  but  would  serve  as  a  place  for  employing  mem- 
bers of  the  army  suspected  of  plotting  a  revolt  against 
the  government. 

This  colony  at  Port  Famine  depended  entirely  on 
supplies  of  food  from  Valparaiso,  and  as  navigation  in 
those  days  was  much  more  uncertain  than  now,  the  settle- 
ment sometimes  well-nigh  repeated  the  experience  of  Sac- 
ramento's colony,  that  in  the  sixteenth  century  starved  to 
death  there.  Because  of  their  sufferings,  the  convicts 
rose  up  one  day  and  took  possession  of  the  settlement. 
The  Governor  was  killed.  Then  a  ship  happened  along 
and  the  mutineers  boarded  it  and  compelled  the  crew  to 
sail  on,  but  a  Chilian  man-o'-war  overtook  them,  whereat 
the  convicts  were  for  the  most  part  hanged  to  the  yard- 
arms.  It  is  said  that  a  man  was  seen  hanging  from 
every  yard-end  on  the  warship,  and  she  was  a  full-rigged 
ship — had  twenty-four  yard  ends  to  hang  men  to. 

The  buildings  at  Port  Famine  having  been  burned  by 
the  convicts,  the  government  decided  to  re-establish  the 
colony  just  south  of  a  long  tongue  of  sand  made  by  a 
mountain  stream  emptying  into  the  strait  some  miles 
north  of  Port  Famine.  The  new  settlement  was  named 
from  the  old  one — La  Colonia  de  Megallanes — but  be- 
cause of  that  tongue  of  sand   it  was  nicknamed  Sandy 


THE   CAPE  HORN  METROPOLIS.  29 

Point  by  English-speaking  seamen  and  Punta  Arenas 
(which  means  Sandy  Point)  by  all  others,  and  so  the 
town  is  called  by  everybody  in  the  region. 

As  said,  this  was  a  place  far  out  of  the  way.  The  life 
which  the  unfortunates  there  had  to  endure  may,  per- 
haps, be  imagined  by  those  who  understand  human 
nature,  but  not  fully  realized.  Here  were  men  con- 
demned to  live  shut  off  from  all  civilized  associations 
because  of  crimes  of  which  they  had  been  convicted. 
They  were  put  in  charge  of  men  suspected  of  trying  to 
commit  other  crimes.  In  most  cases  keeper  and  prisoner 
were  guilty  as  charged,  but  in  many  cases  both  were  in- 
nocent. In  all  cases  the  keeper  was  an  absolute  monarch 
with  the  power,  if  not  the  right,  to  take  the  life  of  any 
convict  under  him  ;  and,  for  that  matter,  the  officers 
could  shoot  the  soldiers  without  very  great  risk  of  ade- 
quate punishment. 

"  It  's  coolish  like  the  year  round,"  said  an  old  sailor 
there  who  had  known  the  town  twenty-five  years  ago, 
''  but  when  I  saw  the  colony  first  it  was  n't  a  cable's  length 
from  hell," 

That  the  colony  did  not  remain  a  mere  penal  settle- 
ment with  a  mental  atmosphere  like  that  of  sheol  was 
primarily  due  to  the  enterprise  of  a  Yankee  from  New- 
buryport,  Mass.,  Mr.  William  Wheelwright,  who  founded 
the  steamship  line  called  the  Pacific  Steam  Navigation 
Company.  This  company  began  running  steamers 
through  the  Straits  of  Magellan  in  1868,  and  they  all 
stopped  at  the  colony  perforce,  because  it  was  a  conven- 
ient place  to  take  on  coal  from  hulks  that  were  kept 
there  for  the  purpose.  It  was  natural  that  a  trade  in 
fresh  meats  and  vegetables  should  grow  out  of  the  com- 
ing  of   the    steamers.      And    that    trade  was    to  Punta 


30  THE   GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORN. 

Arenas  what  a  long  drink  of  Chili  claret  is  to  the  way- 
farer from  the  Patagonia  desert.  It  brought  a  new 
life  to  the  place.  On  the  day  the  first  steamer  called 
the  population  was  195  souls.     In  1872  it  numbered  800. 

Then  other  elements  of  growth  appeared.  There  was 
the  gold,  for  instance,  as  told  in  the  last  chapter.  The 
gold  did  not  bring  a  stampede,  but  it  affected  the  popu- 
lation in  a  curious  fashion. 

"  Men  don't  have  to  slave  it  for  a  boss  in  a  gold  camp. 
When  they  get  out  of  grub  they  can  take  a  pick  and 
shovel  and  go  dig  some  gold,"  said  Mr.  H.  Grey,  a 
Yankee  merchant  there.  As  the  abundance  of  food 
affects  the  increase  of  wild  animals,  so  the  certainty  of 
earning  a  living  affects  the  growth  of  a  human  population. 

But  Punta  Arenas  grew  from  one  cause  that  had 
nothing  natural  about  it,  save  as  some  seafaring  people 
seem  to  be  naturally  of  a  devilish  disposition.  One  of 
the  most  prominent  promoters  of  the  growth  of  Punta 
Arenas  was  the  hard-fisted  Yankee  skipper — he  who 
commanded  the  sealer  and  whale  ship  fitted  out  in  New 
London  or  New  Bedford  to  skin  the  rookeries  of  Staten 
Island  and  others  farther  south.  Not  that  the  skipper 
deserved  thanks  or  praise  from  the  people  of  Punta 
Arenas  or  any  other  people  in  this  matter.  He  did  not 
do  it  intending  to  promote  the  prosperity  of  Punta 
Arenas  or  its  people.  The  skipper  who  helped  the 
growth  of  Punta  xA.renas  was  an  infamous  scoundrel,  who 
got  sailors  to  toil  and  drudge  for  him  until  they  had 
filled  his  ship  with  skins  and  oil,  and  then  by  cruelty  that 
is  shocking  to  consider  drove  them  ashore  at  Punta 
Arenas  that  he  might  rob  them  of  their  hard-earned 
wages.  Some  other  sea  captains  than  Yankees  have 
driven  sailors  ashore  there,  too,  but  the  Yankees  have 
done  the  most  of  it. 


THE    CAPE  HORN  METKOPOLTS.  3 1 

Nine  tenths  of  the  population  with  whom  I  talked  had 
been  sailors.  Not  all  had  been  hazed  from  ships,  but  the 
majority  had. 

Last  of  all  came  the  one  industry  that  was  to  make 
Punta  Arenas  the  antarctic  metropolis.  Mr.  H.  L. 
Reynard,  an  Englishman  living  in  Punta  Arenas,  rented 
Elizabeth  Island  early  in  the  seventies,  and  brought 
some  sheep  there  from  the  Falklands.  The  sheep  took 
kindly  to  their  new  home,  and  increased  so  rapidly  that 
Mr.  Reynard  soon  had  to  move  some  of  them  to  the 
mainland.  They  say  he  now  owns  over  100,000  sheep, 
besides  horses  and  cattle  galore,  and  enjoys — really 
enjoys — an  income  of  not  far  from  ^400  per  week. 

The  people  of  Punta  Arenas  did  not  wait  until  Mr. 
Reynard  became  rich  before  following  his  example. 
They  began  to  invest  in  sheep  as  soon  as  they  saw  that 
sheep  were  profitable,  and  so  far  as  I  could  learn  every 
man  there  who  had  gone  into  the  business  and  had 
given  it  ordinary  care  had  made  money.  So  the  sheep 
spread  far  and  wide  over  the  region,  and  men  came  to 
care  for  them  and  Punta  Arenas  was  the  point  to  which 
all  these  men  came  for  supplies.  And,  as  has  happened 
elsewhere,  so  here  the  rearing  of  cattle  and  horses  goes 
along  with  the  rearing  of  sheep. 

It  appears  that  during  the  early  years  the  garrison  in 
charge  of  the  convicts  numbered  on  the  average  sixty 
soldiers  of  the  line.  Besides  these  the  government 
employed  a  lot  of  men  to  hunt  the  guanaco  and  the 
cattle  that  ran  wild  in  the  Cordilleras,  in  order  to  keep 
the  garrison  supplied  with  meat,  and,  incidentally,  to 
help  the  soldiers  hunt  runaway  convicts  of  whom  not  a 
few  were  found  brave  enough  to  face  the  terrors  of  the 
Patagonia  desert  for  the  sake  of  liberty.  Such  tales  as 
may  be  gathered  of  the  doings  and  sufferings  of  these 


32  THE  GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORI^. 

runaways  are  almost  beyond  belief.  To  follow  the  beach 
to  the  Santa  Cruz  River,  a  journey  of  from  two  to  three 
weeks,  subsisting  on  the  few  raw  fish  that  might  be  cast 
up  by  the  sea,  and  passing  two  days  at  a  stretch  without 
Avater,  were  matters  of  common  experience.  To  wander 
inland  and  perish  miserably  while  striving  to  reach  a 
mirage  lake  often  happened. 

However,  it  was  not  so  much  for  the  love  of  liberty 
that  men  fled  from  the  Punta  Arenas  prison,  as  it  was 
because  they  could  not  endure  the  sufferings  peculiar  to 
their  situation.  It  was  because  officers  as  well  as  soldiers 
of  the  line  and  convicts  were  in  exile,  and  because  the 
worse  instincts  of  the  officers  were  brought  out  by  the 
hardships  they  endured.  In  such  a  penal  settlement  as 
that  was  matters  naturally  went  from  bad  to  worse,  and 
a  second  mutiny  was  inevitable. 

On  the  night  of  November  lo,  1877,  the  soldiers  and 
convicts  united  to  take  the  town,  and  succeeded.  And 
for  three  days  they  held  it.  They  caught  the  commander 
of  the  garrison  and  revenged  the  cruelties  of  which  he 
had  been  guilty  by  cutting  off  his  nose,  cutting  out  his 
tongue,  putting  out  his  eyes,  hacking  off  his  limbs,  and  last 
of  all  severing  his  head  from  his  body,  and  setting  it 
upon  a  pole  at  the  prison  gate.  With  equal  animosity 
they  sought  the  Governor  and  the  chaplain,  but  both  had 
fled  in  time,  the  former  deserting  his  wife  and  children 
that  he  might  save  his  own  skin  whole.  Then  the 
mutineers  sacked  the  town  and  lived  riotously  until  a 
Chilian  man-o'-war  appeared  in  the  offing,  when  they 
gathered  their  plunder  together  and  started  away, 
according  to  one  account,  180  in  number,  and,  accord- 
ing to  another,  in  a  mob  numbering  120.  Incredible 
as    it   may    seem,   these    mutineers,   although  they  had 


THE  CAPE  HORN  METROPOLIS.  33 

forty  horses  in  all,  took  not  one  scrap  of  food  with 
them.  Instead  of  food  they  loaded  themselves  and  the 
animals  with  clothing,  bales  of  dry  goods,  fancy  cutlery, 
bric-a-brac — almost  anything  and  everything  the  tov/n 
afforded  that  would  be  of  no  benefit  in  the  journey  that 
was  before  them. 

The  Chilian  authorities  made  no  pursuit  worth  men- 
tion, though  a  handful  of  men  well  armed  and  mounted 
could  have  rounded  up  the  whole  company.  Un- 
molested they  marched  away.  The  first  night  they 
killed  three  horses  for  food.  The  next  night  and  the 
next  and  the  next  they  continued  to  kill  horses.  They 
kept  at  it  till  all  Avere  gone.  Other  horses  were  captured 
from  incoming  Gauchos,  but  these  did  not  suffice.  Many 
mutineers  were  killed  in  murderous  quarrels,  but  more 
died  because  of  the  hardships  of  the  route.  They  found 
freedom  on  the  desert  pampas,  but  hunger  and  thirst 
overtook  them,  and  crawling  beneath  the  scant  shelter  of 
the  thorny  bushes  growing  there,  they  died,  and  the 
foxes  and  vultures  ate  them. 

At  the  end  of  three  months  a  company  of  forty 
reached  the  Welsh  settlement  on  the  Chubut  River,  and 
these  were  carried  to  Buenos  Ayres  by  the  Argentine 
Government,  and  were  there  eventually  turned  loose. 

With  the  burning  of  the  prison  an  incubus  that  had 
weighed  upon  Punta  Arenas  vanished.  The  town  was 
free  to  rise  and  flourish  as  the  exuberant  fancy  of  its 
people  might  dictate,  for  the  prison  was  never  rebuilt. 

I  first  saw  Punta  Arenas  on  the  15th  of  May,  1894.     I 

was   on    the    deck    of  the    Argentine    naval    transport 

Ushuaia,  and    the    reader   should    remember  that    May 

there  corresponds  to  November  in  the  North,  while  the 

latitude  of  the  Magellan  region  is  precisely  that  of  the 
3 


34  THE  GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORN. 

coast  of  Labrador.  With  these  geographical  facts  in 
mind,  the  appearance  of  things  about  Punta  Arenas  was 
astonishing,  for  it  was  a  waterside  settlement,  backed  by 
grassy,  rolling  hills,  above  which  rose  mountains  green 
with  verdure  that  never  fades.  Indeed,  but  for  the 
snow-capped  peaks  away  back  in  the  Cordilleras,  one 
would  have  had  hard  work  bringing  himself  to  realize 
that  this  was  the  Magellan  of  which  the  early  navigators 
drew  such  bleak  pictures.  And  yet  Port  Famine,  where 
Sarmiento's  colony  starved  to  death,  was  but  a  few  miles 
away  to  the  south, — in  sight,  in  fact,  from  the  masthead. 
The  general  aspect  of  the  scenery  beyond  the  settlement 
was  very  much  like  that  to  be  found  in  the  Adirondacks 
after  an  early  snow  has  whitened  the  higher  peaks, 
leaving  the  foothills  showing  darker  and  greener  by 
contrast. 

But  the  similarity  to  an  Adirondack  picture  ended  at 
the  village  limits.  There  is  nothing  in  the  New  York 
wilderness,  nor  yet  in  the  camps  that  are  found  in  the 
Rocky  Mountains,  that  may  be  compared  to  Punta 
Arenas  as  it  appeared  from  the  water.  Four  streets  ran 
from  the  beach  up  over  the  gentle  slope — streets  yellow 
with  sand,  then  black  with  mud  and  glistening  bright 
with  pools  of  stagnant  water.  A  stirring  population 
kicked  up  sand  and  mud  and  splashed  through  the  water. 
Between  these  streets  and  facing  them  were  massed,  of 
course,  the  houses — wall  after  wall  and  roof  after  roof, 
almost  every  wall  of  wood  and  every  roof  of  corrugated 
iron,  the  exceptional  walls  being  made  of  iron,  like 
that  in  the  roofs.  But  more  singular  still  was  the 
fact  that  every  building  appeared  new — a  shining  mass 
of  pine  boards  and  zinc-white  iron,  save  in  those  cases 
where  paint  had  been  used,  and  these  houses  looked  more 


THE   CAPE  HORN-  METROPOLIS.  35 

conspicuous  even  than  the  rest,  for  the  prevailing  color 
of  paint  was  a  brilliant  pink. 

The  harbor,  which  is  simply  an  open  roadstead,  was 
by  no  means  uninteresting.  A  great  line  steamship,  as 
trim  looking  as  a  man-o'-war,  was  at  anchor  discharging 
and  taking  in  cargo  from  big  lighters  alongside.  A  great 
German  bark  lay  beside  a  big  hulk,  into  which  it  was 
discharging  coal  brought  from  Cardiff.  A  handsome 
little  man-o'-war  of  the  cruiser  type  floated  the  tricolor 
flag  of  Chili  above  her  quarter  deck.  And  besides  these 
a  whole  fleet — a  score  or  more  of  schooners,  sloops,  and 
catboats,  the  trading  and  prospecting  fleet  of  the  region 
— bobbed  about  and  tugged  at  their  cables  under  the 
impulse  of  a  smart  wind  from  westward,  while  lighters 
and  small  boats  were  passing  to  and  fro  among  the  ves- 
sels at  anchor. 

One  of  the  small  boats  came  alongside  with  a  grocery 
salesman  seeking  orders,  and  when  it  went  away  I  went 
along.  It  was  a  clean-lined  yawl,  with  able  seamen  at 
the  oars,  but  it  could  not  travel  fast  enough  to  please 
me. 

I  had  seen  mine  camps  in  the  Rockies,  and  in  the 
deserts  of  California — Creede  and  Death  Valley  ;  I  had 
camped  with  cowboys  and  shepherds  in  Jackson's  Hole 
beyond  the  Teton  Mountains,  on  the  plains  of  No  Man's 
Land,  and  in  the  forks  of  the  Red  River  of  the  South  ; 
I  was  acquainted  with  the  life  of  lumbermen  in  the 
Adirondacks  and  the  wilds  of  Nova  Scotia  ;  and  I  had 
sailed  from  the  Arsuk  fiord  in  Greenland  to  Chicago. 
But  here  was  a  town  with  pink  roofs  that  sheltered  at 
once  the  miner,  the  prospector,  the  cowboy,  the  lumber- 
man, and  happy-go-lucky  Jack.  What  might  not  one 
expect  in  the  way  of  wild  life  in  such  a  town  as  this  ? 


36  THE   GOLD  DIGGIXGS  OF  CAPE  HORN. 

A  long  wood-and-iron  pier  furnished  a  landing  for 
passengers,  and  at  the  head  of  this  stood  a  new  wood 
and  iron  hotel,  two  stories  high,  and  having  a  bar-room 
in  the  corner  next  to  the  pier.  I  registered  there  under 
the  eye  of  the  clerk,  who  also  served  as  bartender.  My 
observations  of  this  man  were  encouraging.  He  was 
talking  French  to  one  customer  and  Spanish  to  another 
as  I  entered.  He  addressed  me  in  English  when  I  came 
in,  and  then  a  moment  later  opened  a  door  behind  the 
bar  and  called  for  hot  water  in  German.  Judging  from 
what  I  saw  later  still,  when  a  pretty  girl  passed,  I  should 
say  he  was  not  unfamiliar  with  the  sign  language.  He 
also  knew  how  to  mix  hot  whiskeys.  After  a  little  talk 
about  the  variety  of  people  in  the  population  of  the  town, 
I  determined  to  take  a  look  at  the  gambling-houses  of 
the  place  by  daylight,  so  I  said  : 

"  How  many  sporting  houses  in  town  ?" 

The  barkeeper  smiled  blandly. 

"A  plenty,"  he  said;  "you'll  find  the  best  looking 
girls  in  the  second  house  beyond  the  postofifice  right  up 
this  street." 

"  I  meant  gambling-houses,"  said  I,  "  but  since  you  've 
mentioned  sporting  women,  how  many  dance-houses 
does  this  place  support  ?  " 

"  One.  It 's  the  house  I  mentioned.  Both  the  girls 
like  to  dance,  but  of  course  one  of  them  has  to  furnish 
the  music.  They  've  got  one  of  these — how  do  you  call 
them — pianos  that  turn  with  a  crank,  eh  ?  It 's  a  fine 
instrument,  I  tell  you.  Of  course,  if  you  want  to  take  a 
chum  along  you  can  get  a  boy  to  turn  the  crank." 

"  Wait,"  said  I.  "  What  was  the  number  of  the  big- 
gest gang  of  cowboys  you  ever  saw  come  to  town  ?  " 

"  I  suppose  as  many  as  twenty." 


THE    CAPE  HORN  METROPOLIS.  37 

"  Did  they  have  any  money  ?  " 

"  You  bet  they  did." 

"And  did  they  spend  it  ?  " 

"  As  quick  as  the  Lord  would  let  'm." 

"  How  many  men  have  3'ou  seen  coming  from  the 
diggings  with  dust  ?  " 

"  Half  a  dozen,  maybe.     Why  ?  " 

"  Did  they  blow  in  the  dust  ?  " 

"  Well,  rather." 

"  And  yet  there  is  only  one  dance-house  in  town  and 
that  has  but  two  women  in  it  ? " 

"  That  's  just  the  size  of  it." 

"  Let  us  return  to  the  subject  of  gambling-houses. 
How  many  have  you  ?  " 

"One."' 

"  Do  they  have  big  play  there  .'  " 

"  That 's  what  they  do — sometimes." 

"  Where  is  it  ?     I  'd  like  to  see  it." 
L  m — 

The  barkeeper  hesitated  a  moment,  and  then  went  to 
the  door  and  looked  up  and  down. 

"  I  don't  see  a  member  anywhere,"  he  said,  "  but  some 
of  them  will  be  in  at  dinner,  and  I  '11  introduce  you." 

"  Does  one  need  an  introduction  to  get  in  ?" 

"  Certainly." 

"  What  !  Police  watch  it  in  a  town  like  this  ?  " 

"  Police  ?  No.  It  's  a  private  club,  gentlemen,  eh  ? 
They  would  admit  you  on  your  card,  I  dare  say,  but  it 
pleases  the  army  and  navy  members  to  observe  the 
usual  formalities.  Did  you  think  it  was  run  like  a 
saloon  ?  " 

As  was  said,  Punta  Arenas  is  a  town  whose  character- 
istics are  absolutely  astounding,  even  to  an  experienced 


38  THE    GOLD   DIGGIXGS   OF   CAPE  HORX. 

traveller.  Cowboys,  shepherds,  lumbermen,  miners,  and 
sailors  gather  there  to  waste  their  substance  in  riotous 
living,  and  do  so  waste  it,  but  there  is  not  one  public 
gambling-house  in  town,  and  the  one  lone  dance-house 
there  has  but  two  girls  in  it  and  a  hand-organ  for  music. 

"  How  long  have  you  been  in  this  town  ? "  said  I  to 
the  drink  mixer. 

"  About  twelve  years." 

"  Professional  gamblers  ever  come  to  town  ?  " 

'*  I  think  so — one  came.    He  was  a  Yankee,  they  say." 

"  What  made  you  think  that  ?  " 

"  Well,  we  were  up  in  Bray's  billiard  saloon.  Bray  is 
the  boss  billiard  player  of  this  town,  and  he  was  showing 
us  some  fancy  shots,  when  a  stranger  dropped  in  and 
had  a  drink,  and  then  we  sat  around  and  chatted.  But 
Bray  wanted  to  play  billiards,  and  so  pretty  soon  he 
asked  the  stranger  to  take  a  cue.  The  stranger  said  he 
liked  to  play  billiards,  but  it  was  not  worth  while  to  play 
against  the  boss  player  of  the  town. 

■' '  Never  mind  that,'  said  Bray.  '  We  '11  play  for  the 
drinks  and  see  how  we  match.' 

"  So  they  began.  The  stranger  was  a  pretty  fair 
player,  and  pretty  soon  Bray  had  to  do  his  best,  though 
by  doing  his  best  he  managed  to  beat  the  stranger.  I 
think  it  was  thirty-two  or  thirty-three  points.  The 
stranger  showed  interest  in  the  game,  but  was  going  to 
put  down  the  cue,  when  Bray  said  : 

'■ '  I  '11  just  give  you  thirty  points  and  beat  you  for  ten 
dollars.' 

■'  The  stranger  showed  eagerness  at  once,  and  putting 
up  the  cash  went  at  it.  That  was  a  right  pretty  game, 
let  me  tell  you,  for  both  men  played  well,  but  at  the  last 
Bray  ran  out,  although  the  stranger  had  but  one  point  to 


THE    CAPE   HORX  METROPOLIS.  39 

make.  The  stranger  looked  excited  when  Bray  ran  out, 
and  taking  out  a  wad  said  : 

"  '  I  '11  bet  you  one  hundred,  or  two  hundred,  or  three 
hundred  you  can't  do  that  again.' 

"  '  I  '11  go  you  for  three  hundred,'  said  Bray.  It  was 
just  what  Bray  had  been  aching  for. 

"  It  was  Bray's  first  shot,  and  he  made  a  string  of 
nine.  Thereat  the  stranger  took  his  cue,  chalked  it, 
winked  at  the  crowd,  and  ran  out  his  string  without  a 
break.  Then  he  picked  up  the  cash,  stuffed  it  in  his 
pocket,  and  started  out,  whistling  Yankee  Doodle.  We 
judged  by  that  circumstance  that  he  was  a  Yankee." 

I  was  in  Punta  Arenas  four  days,  and  talked  with  a 
variety  of  people,  but  that  was  the  only  gambling  stor}- 
worth  telling  that  I  heard.  I  asked  if  fights  and  blood- 
shed were  known  to  the  town  since  the  convict  mutiny. 
They  replied  that  fights  were  not  unknown,  but  were 
rare. 

"  Do  the  fighters  never  kill  each  other  ? " 

"  I  fancy  not,"  said  the  barkeeper. 

"  Ever  had  cold-blooded  murders  for  money  ? " 

"  Not  in  my  day,  anyhow." 

"Then  you  've  never  h-nched  anybody  here." 

The  barkeeper  laughed. 

"  That 's  just  like  a  Yankee."  he  said.  "  The  only 
lynchings  I  ever  heard  of  took  place  in  the  States.  The 
government  keeps  soldiers  here,  and  everybody  is  afraid 
of  them." 

This  last  statement  explained  why  the  town  was 
peculiar.  The  government  is  monarchial  in  fact, 
though  nominally  republican.  Chili  is  ruled,  as  all 
Latin-American  countries  are,  by  the  army.  Punta 
Arenas  is  ruled  by  an  army  officer  sent  from  Santiago. 


40  THE   GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORN, 

The  town  ordinances  are  backed  by  bayonets.  The 
Texas  town  marshal  in  all  his  glory  could  not  keep  the 
peace  as  soldiers  can.  The  government  has  decreed 
that  there  shall  be  no  gambling-houses  in  Punta  Arenas 
of  the  style  found  in  United  States  mine  camps.  Neither 
shall  there  be  dance-houses.  Instead  of  these,  drinking 
saloons  are  permitted  in  unlimited  numbers,  and  one  or 
two  young  women  can  get  a  license  for  a  saloon  as  read- 
ily as  a  man  can. 

There  are  almost  one  hundred  licensed  bars  in  Punta 
Arenas.  They  are  found  scattered  everywhere  about 
town.  The  young  women  who  own  saloons  commonly 
sit  in  the  doorway  knitting  or  sewing  in  the  daytime. 
One  who  saw  them  said  their  trade  would  probably  be 
larger  if  they  remained  behind  the  bar  or  wore  veils. 
A  more  wretched-looking  lot  of  women  was  never  seen 
in  the  saloon  business.  It  is  in  little  wooden  shanties, 
with  corrugated  iron  roofs  —  utterly  barren,  squalid 
shanties — that  the  riotous  living  of  Punta  Arenas  is 
found,  and  there  is  not  one  bright  or  picturesque 
feature  about  it  to  give  excuse  for  its  existence. 

After  leaving  the  bartender  at  the  hotel,  I  started  out 
to  see  so  much  of  the  town  as  could  be  observed  in 
walking  the  streets.  It  is  a  town  laid  out  on  the  checker- 
board plan,  and  like  all  Spanish-American  towns  has  a 
plaza  or  public  square.  The  streets  are  unpaved.  This 
means  that  near  the  beach,  where  there  is  sand,  the 
wheeling  is  pretty  fair,  save  in  the  driest  weather,  and 
elsewhere  is  pretty  bad  when  fair  on  the  beach,  and  good 
when  it  is  bad  on  the  beach.  But  one  can  find  much 
deeper  mud  even  in  the  outskirts  of  New  York  city  than 
is  found  in  the  streets  of  Punta  Arenas. 

The  sidewalks  are  peculiar.     Under  a  village  ordi- 


THE   CAPE  HORN'  METROPOLTS.  4 1 

nance  every  such  walk  is  edged  with  a  six-inch  square 
timber.  Between  this  timber  and  the  front  wall  of  the 
house  could  be  found,  in  a  few  places  stone,  in  fewer 
tile  brick,  in  some  well-packed  beds  of  sand,  but  in  the 
majority  of  cases  little  narrow  lakes  of  water  securely 
held  in  place  by  the  timber  sea-wall.  The  plaza  showed 
a  rich  black  loam  and  nothing  else. 

Facing  the  plaza  was  the  old  official  residence  of  the 
Governor,  It  was  one  of  the  few  buildings  remaining 
from  the  early  days.  It  was  a  wooden  structure  that 
had  originally  had  a  shingle  roof  over  all,  but  the  moss- 
grown  shingles  had  rotted  away  in  patches,  and  had 
been  replaced  with  odds  and  ends  of  board,  tin,  and 
sheet-iron.  The  contrast  between  the  Governor  in  his 
gorgeous  uniform  and  his  official  house  was  something 
stunning.  The  home  was  the  only  real  shabby  building 
in  town. 

The  traveller  who  lands  in  Punta  Arenas  and  fails  to 
climb  the  hills  behind  the  town  makes  a  mistake,  because 
the  picture  is  wonderfully  beautiful  and  striking  as  well. 
The  yellowish  hills  of  Tierra  del  Fuego  rise  up  in  the 
east  beyond  the  broad  waters  of  the  strait.  The  snow- 
capped peaks  of  Mt.  Sarmiento  and  its  neighbors  appear 
above  the  horizon  at  the  south,  while  in  the  west  the 
evergreen  mountains  rise  boldly  up  from  the  water's 
edge.  And  then,  right  at  the  foot  of  these  dark-green 
mountains  lies  the  zinc  and  pink  town,  the  most  absurd 
foreground  to  a  magnificent  landscape  that  ever  was 
imagined. 

The  lower  hills  to  the  northwest  of  the  town  have 
been  chopped  over  in  part  and  are  covered  with  dead 
trunks  of  trees,  giving  the  landscape  the  appearance  of 
what  the  early   settlers   in   the    forest    districts  of  the 


42  THE   GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORN. 

United  States  called  a  deadening.  The  trees  seemed  to 
have  been  killed  by  some  kind  of  an  epidemic.  They 
say  in  the  town  that  the  trees  were  killed  by  lightning, 
but  I  did  not  see  any  marks  of  lightning  on  the  trunks. 
However  they  died,  the  landscape  there  is  wild  enough 
to  please  an  insane  artist. 

The  only  manufacturing  industries  of  the  place  are 
the  saw-mills  and  a  brick-yard.  The  saw-mills  are  lo- 
cated some  distance  from  the  village,  and  are  not  novel, 
but  the  brick-yard  is  right  at  hand.  I  examined  the 
brick,  and  found  a  product  that  I  had  not  seen  equalled 
since  I  saw  the  courthouse  in  Greer  County,  Tex., 
which  had  crumbled  under  a  summer  squall.  Even  the 
hardest  burned  brick  in  this  kiln  could  be  broken  with 
the  naked  hands. 

A  worse  industry  than  brick-making,  however,  was 
started  some  years  ago  in  the  town.  What  they  called  a 
vein  of  coal  was  discovered  some  five  miles  from  the 
beach,  and,  after  some  talk,  a  company  was  formed  to 
exploit  it.  A  pier  was  built  at  the  beach,  a  railroad  laid 
thence  to  the  mine,  and  rolling  stock  brought  out  from 
England.  This  done,  they  found  that  they  had  a  lignite 
instead  of  a  coal  mine.  The  pier  has  gone  to  pieces, 
and  the  old  locomotive  could  be  seen  partly  buried  in 
the  sand  not  far  from  the  head  of  the  ruined  pier.  This 
is  the  coal  of  which  all  the  writers  who  have  visited  the 
strait  speak  enthusiastically. 

However,  the  town  is  going  to  have  more  industries, 
and  there  is  to  be  still  more  business  done  by  the  traders. 
The  increase  in  the  number  of  sheep  will  soon  compel 
the  traders  to  establish  a  freezing  establishment  there  in 
order  that  their  surplus  sheep  may  be  shipped  to  market. 
Just  now  they  sell  their  surplus  to  men  wishing  to  estab- 


THE    CAPE  HORN  METROPOLIS.  43 

lish  ranches  up  country,  but  there  will  soon  be  no  more 
room  for  new  ranches  up  country. 

Then  Punta  Arenas  may  yet  manufacture  goods  from 
its  wool,  and  it  could  very  profitably  tan  its  products  of 
hides  and  skins.  The  region  produces  a  bark  so  rich  in 
tannin  that  it  could  be  profitably  exported  to  the  States, 
but  still  more  profitably  used  on  the  ground.  The  Chili 
Government  will  make  liberal  concessions  to  any  man 
who  knows  the  tannery  business  and  has  the  capital  to 
establish  it  there.  But  one  must  have  the  knack  to  get 
along  comfortably  with  odd  people  if  he  would  succeed 
in  any  business  there. 

The  sales  of  merchandise  in  the  town  are  naturally 
large  in  certain  lines,  and  they  are  particularly  satisfac- 
tory to  the  merchants,  for  the  reason  that  many  original 
packages  are  called  for.  It  is  a  wholesale  trade  to  a 
remarkable  degree.  Moreover,  the  merchants  deliver 
goods  to  customers  by  means  of  sailboats  instead  of  by 
wagons,  as  New  York  merchants  do.  But,  one  scarcely 
need  add,  there  is  no  free  delivery  by  boats.  The  navi- 
gation of  the  straits  region  is  hazardous,  and  therefore 
expensive.  Only  the  hardiest  sailors  will  undertake  the 
handling  of  a  25-foot  catboat  where,  to  quote  Capt. 
Samuel  Wallis,  one  of  the  early  navigators,  "  even  in  mid- 
summer the  climate  was  cloudy,  cold,  and  tempestuous." 

The  business  feature  of  the  town  that  interests  travel- 
lers most  is  that  of  the  dealer  in  Indian-made  goods  and 
curiosities.  Indians  from  the  pampas  and  from  the 
southern  islands  come  to  Punta  Arenas  to  sell  skins,  furs, 
feathers,  baskets,  arrow-heads — what  not.  The  dealers 
find  sale  for  more  stuff,  in  fact,  than  the  Indians  bring, 
so  they  have  some  goods  made  to  order  in  the  town. 
The  goods  are  all  sold  as  genuine  Indian-made  things, 


44  THE   GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  IIOkN: 

and  in  a  way  so  they  are.  There  are  squaws  in  town 
who  make  a  living  doing  work  of  this  kind.  I  saw  one 
of  them  deliver  an  armful  of  rugs  made  of  guanaco  skins 
to  one  of  the  dealers.  She  was  dressed  in  a  tailor-made 
suit  of  good  material ;  she  had  gold  jewelry  a  plenty,  and 
her  hair  was  banged  across  her  forehead.  The  dealer 
said  she  was  a  half-breed  Tehuelche,  and  I  did  not  doubt 
it,  but  when  one  buys  Indian-made  relics  he  does  not 
suppose  that  the  Indian  wore  a  tailor-made  suit  and  bangs. 
I  asked  Luis  Zanibelli,  who  was  formerly  a  Maiden  Lane 
jeweller  in  New  York,  and  is  now  in  the  relic  business 
there,  how  to  tell  goods  made  in  the  wilds  from  those 
made  by  half-breed  squaws  with  bangs. 

"  That  's  easy,"  he  replied.  "  Smell  of  the  goods. 
The  genuine  Indian  goods  from  the  pampas  or  the  islands 
always  smell  bad." 

The  club  of  which  the  barkeeper  had  spoken  as  a 
gambling  resort  is  an  oddity  in  name,  if  in  no  other  way. 
It  is  called  the  "  Cuerpo  de  Bomberos,"  and  that  trans- 
lated into  English  means  the  body  or  society  of  firemen. 
There  is  a  neat  little  red  club-house,  built  somewhat  on 
the  model  of  ancient  colonial  mansions  in  the  States — 
that  is,  with  pillars  in  front.  There  is  a  yard  full  of 
flower-beds  in  front  of  that,  and  there  are  flowers  there 
in  May,  at  least,  if  not  later.  The  house  is  furnished  as 
club-houses  are  elsewhere,  except  that  it  has  no  kitchen. 
The  annual  dues  amount  to  less  than  a  dollar  a  month 
gold,  and  for  this  the  members  have  a  remarkably  pleas- 
ant resort.  The  barkeeper  thought  the  play  was  heavy  ; 
this  is  interesting  as  showing  what  is  considered  heavy 
play  at  Punta  Arenas.  The  heaviest  loss  of  which  I 
heard  was  400  paper  dollars — a  trifle  over  $100  gold. 
The  favorite  game  is  baccarat,  but  the  seductive  influ- 


THE    CAPE  HORN  METROPOLIS.  45 

ences  of  draw  poker  are  not  unknown.  The  list  of  mem- 
bers includes  the  merchants,  sheep- owners,  and  officials 
living  in  the  vicinity  or  stationed  there  by  government, 
and  in  Punta  Arenas  the  word  vicinity  covers  a  territory 
a  hundred  leagues  away  from  the  centre. 

Speaking  of  the  flowers  in  front  of  this  club-house  re- 
minds me  that  Punta  Arenas  is  the  greatest  town  for 
flowers  I  ever  saw.  Every  house  has  window  gardens, 
and  many  houses  have  bays  and  rooms  set  apart  for 
great  masses  of  potted  flowers  and  shrubs.  It  has  many 
more  flowers  in  proportion  to  the  population  even  than 
the  tropical  cities  like  Rio.  Flowers  grow  wild  there  in 
great  profusion,  too,  among  which  the  wild  fuschias 
make  the  most  profuse  display,  while  the  ferns  and  lich- 
ens are  something  to  delight  the  eye  of  even  the  least 
observant. 

For  the  rest,  Punta  Arenas  claims  a  population  of 
3500.  It  is  not  unlike  some  United  States  towns  in  the 
matter  of  a  local  census,  btit  after  making  due  allow- 
ances for  local  pride  and  enthusiasm,  it  still  is  found  a 
live  and  growing  village.  Lots  in  the  business  part  of  the 
town  now  sell  for  pounds  sterling  where  paper  dollars 
would  have  sufficed  ten  years  ago.  Indeed,  a  lot  was 
sold  while  I  was  there  for  ;i^5oo  that  changed  hands  in 
t886  for  $400  national  currency.  The  old  settler  goes 
about  the  street  bewailing  the  fact  that  he  did  n't  buy 
when  he  first  came,  and  saying  it  is  too  late  now.  But 
those  who  buy  now  point  to  the  growing  traffic  through 
the  straits,  and  refer  to  the  line  of  huge  steam  tugs  now 
building  in  England  that  will  tow  sailing  ships  through 
the  narrow  waters  and  against  the  winds  that  vexed  and 
bafiled  the  early  navigators  ;  they  speak  confidently  of 
the  spread  of  sheep   ranches  on  Tierra  Del  Fuego,  and 


46  THE   GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORN. 

the  apparently  unfailing  discoveries  of  new  gold-fields 
among  the  islands  to  the  south  ;  they  talk  of  the  in- 
creased demand  for  the  wood  of  the  straits.  They 
balance  against  the  frosts  and  cold  rains  of  midsummer 
the  many  Indian  summer  days  of  winter,  and  tell  stories 
of  invalids  regaining  health  that  would  make  both  Den- 
ver and  Los  Angeles  green  with  envy.  They  find,  in  fact, 
no  end  of  signs  of  future  prosperity  for  their  austral  me- 
tropolis, and  if  somebody  does  not  dig  a  canal  from  the 
Caribbean  Sea  to  the  Pacific  they  are  very  certain  to  find 
these  signs  well  founded.  Even  if  such  a  canal  is  made, 
only  one  element  of  the  prosperity  of  the  place  will  be 
injured — the  traffic  through  the  straits — and  that  proba- 
bly will  not  be  wholly  destroyed,  while  the  other  ele- 
ments can  scarcely  fail  to  improve  continually. 

Mr.  Julius  Popper  wrote  in  x888  of  Punta  Arenas, 
that  it  was  "  a  town  that  opened  its  doors  at  ii  a.m.,  and 
was  more  concerned  about  picnics  and  dances  than 
business."  Mr.  Frank  Vincent  said  in  1889,  that  it  was 
a  community  scarce  one  of  whom  "  would  be  willing  to 
stay  if  he  could  get  away."  The  people  there  say  these 
remarks  were  libellous  when  written.  I  am  bound  to 
say  that  in  1094,  if  a  man  wanted  to  get  to  windward  of  a 
Punta  Arenas  man  in  the  matter  of  business,  it  was  n.eces- 
sary  to  get  up  in  the  morning  before  crow  peep.  And 
as  for  the  people  wishing  to  get  away,  one  would  have 
hard  work  to  find  a  citizen  there  who  could  be  driven 
away  with  a  shotgun. 

In  spite  of  its  climate  and  its  government,  it  is  a 
blooming  and  booming  community,  and  because  of  the 
enterprise  of  its  citizens  it  deserves  all  the  prosperity  the 
free  pastures  of  the  pampas  and  the  waves  of  the  sea  are 
bringing  to  it. 


CHAPTER  III. 


CAPE    HORN    ABORIGINES. 


'T'HIS  is  the  story  in  part  of  one  of  the  most  interesting 
*  and  most  unfortunate  tribes  of  Indians  known  in 
the  history  of  American  aborigines — interesting  because 
of  their  remarkable  qualities  of  mind  and  body,  and 
unfortunate  because  they  have  been  almost  exterminated 
by  changes  in  their  habits,  wrought  by  Christian  mis- 
sionaries. It  begins  with  what  was  said  of  them  and 
their  country  by  the  early  explorers,  and  it  ends  where 
the  missionaries  began  what  was  intended  to  be  the  work 
of  civilizing  them.  It  tells  of  the  race  as  God  made  it. 
What  the  white  man  did  for  it  will  be  told  later. 

The  Cape  Horn  Archipelago,  as  the  islands  south  of 
the  Straits  of  ^Magellan  may  be  called,  contained  when 
discovered,  and  still  maintains,  three  distinct  tribes  of 
Indians.  One  tribe  occupied  the  island  of  Tierra  del 
Fuego  to  the  north  and  east  of  the  coast  range  of  moun- 
tains, of  which  Mts.  Darwin  and  Sarmiento  are  the  chief 
peaks.  It  was  aland  tribe  ;  that  is,  they  rarely  if  ever  built 
canoes,  and  they  subsisted  almost  entirely  on  such  prod- 
ucts as  the  land  afforded.  Another  race  occupied  the 
islands  to  the  west  of  Cockburn  Channel.     They  were 

47 


48  THE    GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HOUN'. 

always,  so  to  speak,  a  race  of  sailors  ;  they  built  canoes, 
cruised  about  their  region  as  fancy  or  the  prevalence  of 
food  dictated,  and  were  very  little  dependent  on  land 
beasts  for  food. 

Last  of  all,  we  come  to  the  tribe  that  lived  and  now 
exists  among  the  islands  lying  south  of  Tierra  del  Fuego 
and  along  the  very  narrow  south  beach  of  that  great 
island  itself — a  tribe  that  might  well  be  called  the 
Antarctic  Highlanders,  since  they  live  further  south  than 
any  other  known  people — and  the  land  they  occupy  is 
but  a  succession  of  mountain  peaks.  These  people  are 
known  as  the  Yahgans. 

The  known  history  of  the  Yahgans  begins  in  the 
stories  told  by  the  early  navigators  of  the  region — a  brief 
matter — merely  the  record  of  what  the  early  navigators 
saw  of  them — but  it  is  worth  printing  in  part  here 
because  it  is  interesting,  and  because  the  reading  of  the 
mistakes  made  by  the  early  travellers  will  help  to  impress 
on  the  memory  the  peculiarities  of  this  remarkable  tribe. 

Darwin,  the  naturalist,  under  date  of  December  25, 
1832,  wrote  of  the  Yahgans  : 

While  going  one  day  on  shore  near  Wollaston  Island,  we  pulled 
alongside  a  canoe  with  six  Fuegians.  These  were  the  most  abject  and 
miserable  creatures  I  anywhere  beheld.  On  the  east  coast  the  natives, 
as  we  have  seen,  have  guanaco  cloaks,  and  on  the  west  they  possess 
sealskins.  Among  these  central  tribes  the  men  generally  have  an 
olter  skin,  or  some  small  scrap,  about  as  large  as  a  pocket  handker- 
chief, which  is  barely  sufficient  to  cover  their  backs  as  low  down  as 
their  loins.  It  is  laced  across  the  breast  by  strings,  and  according  as 
the  wind  blows  it  is  shifted  from  side  to  side.  But  these  Fuegians  in 
the  canoe  were  quite  naked,  and  even  one  full-grown  woman  was 
absolutely  so.  It  was  raining  heavily,  and  the  fresh  water  together 
with  the  spray  trickled  down  her  body.  In  another  harbor  not  far 
distant,  a  woman  who  was  suckling  a  recently  born  child  came  one  day 


CAPE  HORl^  ABORIGINES.  49 

alongside  the  vessel  and  remained  there  out  of  mere  curiosity  while 
tlie  sleet  fell  and  thawed  on  her  naked  bosom  and  on  the  skin  of  her 
naked  baby  !  These  poor  wretches  were  stunted  in  their  growth,  their 
hideous  faces  bedaubed  with  white  paint,  their  skins  filthy  and  greasy, 
their  hair  entangled,  their  voices  discordant,  and  their  gestures  violent. 
At  night  five  or  six  human  beings,  naked  and  scarcely  protected  from 
the  wind  and  rain  of  this  tempestuous  climate,  sleep  on  the  wet 
ground  coiled  up  like  animals.  Viewing  such  men  one  can  hardly 
make  oneself  believe  that  they  are  fellow-creatures  and  inhabitants  of 
the  same  world.  .  .  .  There  is  no  reason  to  believe  that  the 
Fuegians  decrease  in  number. 

Quotations  might  be  multiplied  but  two  or  three  brief 
ones  relating  to  the  land  in  which  the  Yahgans  lived  will 
suffice  :  King  says  that  "  the  vegetation  is  magnificent 
in  some  places,  and  under  the  shelter  of  the  great  forests 
some  plants  are  found  that  would  be  considered  deli- 
cate in  England."  Captain  Cook  agrees  with  this,  and 
describes  the  wild  celery  as  among  the  delicate  vegetable 
productions,  but  he  concludes  that  "  it  is  the  most 
savage  country  I  have  seen.  There  is  no  place  in  the 
world  which  offers  such  desolate  landscapes."  To  this 
may  be  added  the  testimony  of  Admiral  Anson,  who 
said  emphatically  that  it  was  ''  the  most  horrible  country 
which  it  was  possible  to  conceive." 

On  the  whole,  it  appears  from  reading  the  stories  of 
these  early  navigators  that  the  land  of  the  Yahgans, 
while  lacking  the  eternal  ice  of  the  Eskimo  land,  was 
bad  enough,  and  in  the  matter  of  storms  it  was  worse 
even  than  the  region  of  Baffin's  Bay.  As  for  the  differ- 
ence in  the  people,  it  is  apparent  that  the  Yahgans  were 
believed  to  be  far  more  wretched  than  the  people  of  the 
North,  because  the  Eskimos  were  clothed  in  the  warm- 
est of  furs  and  lived  in  huts,  which,  if  made  of  ice  and 
snow,  were  still  perfect  shelters  from  the  furies  of  the 

4 


50  THE   GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORM. 

storms,  while  the  Yahgans  v/ent  naked  and  often  slept 
unsheltered  from  the  snow  and  the  freezing  sleet  that 
fell  in  every  month  of  the  year. 

The  islands  on  which  are  found  the  homes  of  the  Yah- 
gan  Indians  are  almost  without  exception  mountains  that 
rise  from  the  depths  of  the  Southern  Sea.  As  one  sails 
among  them  the  idea  that  here  is  a  mountain  chain  that 
at  some  time  long  past  was  suddenly  submerged  in  the 
sea  is  irresistible.  For  miles  and  leagues  one  may  coast 
along  without  finding  a  beach  wide  enough  to  furnish  a 
foothold,  not  to  mention  a  place  for  hauling  up  a  yawl. 
That  the  mountain  is  as  precipitous  below  the  water  as  it 
is  above  is  easily  proved,  for  soundings  with  the  deep-sea 
lead  line  often  give  60  to  100  fathoms  within  100  feet 
of  the  shore  line. 

Rising  to  the  height  of  1500  to  2000  feet,  these  pre- 
cipitous mountain  peaks  are  lacking  in  nothing  to  make 
them  grand  and  impressive.  That  they  seemed  desolate 
to  the  early  navigators  none  need  doubt,  however,  for 
the  old-time  sailors  had  a  ship  wretchedly  unfit  for  such 
stormy  seas,  and  he  was  ill-clad,  half-fed,  and  homesick. 
No  mountains  seen  through  riffs  in  storm  clouds  and 
between  marching  columns  of  freezing  rain  could  seem 
pleasant  to  them. 

But  wherever  there  is  shelter  from  the  prevailing  gales 
a  narrow  beach  is  found  commonly.  Above  this  grows 
a  forest  of  trees,  of  which  the  greater  number  are  the 
antarctic  beech,  and  nearly  all  the  rest  are  species  of 
magnolia.  Some  grow  to  a  diameter  of  two  feet  and  a 
height  of  fifty.  Nearly  all  of  the  trees  are  green  the 
year  round,  and  the  magnolias  are  of  a  particularly  bright 
and  beautiful  green. 

As  one  climbs  the  mountains  the  trees  are  seen  to  be 


CAPE  HORN  ABORIGINES.  5 1 

of  smaller  and  smaller  sizes  until  at  from  looo  to 
1500  feet  above  the  sea  mosses  take  the  place  of  trees. 
Above  the  mosses  come  barren  rocks  and  eternal  snows. 
In  many  parts  of  Beagle  Channel,  and  especially  at  the 
east  end,  there  are  fairly  level  spaces  bordering  the  water, 
with  foothills  that  are  rolling  instead  of  craggy.  Even  at 
the  foot  of  Mount  Misery,  on  the  east  end  of  Navarin 
Island,  a  mountain  that  got  its  name  from  the  severity  of 
the  gales  that  come  from  its  gulches,  the  scenery  is  any- 
thing but  desolate  and  horrible.  Indeed,  natural  grassy 
meadows  and  green  groves  so  alternate  with  park-like 
beauty  over  the  undulating  ground,  that  one  scarcely  can 
resist  the  idea  that  all  those  open  spaces  in  the  woodland 
are  the  work  of  man.  The  eye  involuntarily  seeks  for 
farm-house  and  barn,  while  the  sight  of  the  red-haired 
guanaco  makes  the  scene  all  the  more  pastoral,  for  the  wild 
beasts  seem  in  that  picture  very  like  domestic  animals. 

My  own  view  of  the  picture  was  under  peculiarly 
favorable  circumstances,  for,  although  in  the  month  of 
May,  which  corresponds  to  the  November  of  the  North, 
the  sun  was  bright  and  v/arm,  the  water  sparkled,  and  a 
breeze  sweet  and  gentle  just  stirred  the  grass  on  the 
lawns  and  lifted  the  green-leaved  boughs  of  the  trees. 
Seen  on  another  day,  when  whirling  snow-laden  squalls 
came  down  from  the  mountain  to  rip  open  the  sea  and 
hurl  its  foam  five  hundred  feet  into  the  air,  the  picture 
vv^ould  have  had  a  different  aspect,  but  no  landscape 
which  contains  green  meadows  and  green  trees  the  year 
round  can  be  called  "desolate." 

As  to  the  meteorological  condition  among  the  islands 
the  experience  of  the  missionaries  there  during  twenty 
odd  years  has  cleared  away  many  myths.  Some  of  Cap- 
tain Cook's  men  nearly  froze  to  death  in  the  land  of  the 


52  THE   GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORN, 

Yahgans,  but  it  is  a  fact  that  even  the  confined  waters 
(salt)  do  not  freeze  over  often  or  remain  frozen  for  any 
long  time,  while  a  prolonged  storm,  during  which  the 
thermometer  ranged  from  io°  to  15°  Fahrenheit,  is  men- 
tioned in  the  missionary  records  as  an  unusually  cold 
spell.  At  the  worst,  the  thermometer  at  Ushuaia  has  not 
gone  lower  than  12°  below  zero,  Fahrenheit,  and  Ushuaia 
is  about  the  coldest  spot  in  the  region,  because  it  stands 
under  lofty,  glazier-covered  mountains  that  shut  out  the 
rays  of  the  sun  for  nineteen  hours  out  of  the  twenty-four 
during  the  short  days  of  winter. 

One  white  man  at  Ushuaia  told  me  that  it  was  a  cli- 
mate in  which  winter  and  summer  alternated  every  week, 
and  that  describes  the  matter  fairly  well.  That  it  is  bet- 
ter than  people  elsewhere  suppose  may  be  inferred  by 
the  fact  that  the  white  men  now  there,  while  admitting 
the  frequent  recurrence  of  boisterous  storms,  invariably 
said  it  was  "  the  healthiest  climate  in  the  world,"  and  a 
few  said  they  liked  it  better  than  any  other. 

Having  considered  the  Yahgans'  country  and  its  cli- 
mate, we  now  come  to  their  homes  and  home  life.  Of 
the  Yahgans  as  architects  and  as  tailors,  I  am  bound  to 
say  that  they  have  been  v^'ell  described  by  the  old-time 
explorers.  The  hut  was  a  structure  made  of  poles  and 
a  thatch  of  brush  and  grass  that  v/as  of  about  the  shape 
of  a  Yankee  haycock,  and  only  a  little  larger.  It  was 
open  on  the  lee  side,  the  thatching,  such  as  it  was,  cover- 
ing two  thirds  of  the  circumference  to  windward. 

The  fire  was  built  just  within  the  door  or  opening,  and 
the  inhabitants  sat  on  grass  or  moss  that  jjartly  covered 
the  earth  floor.  It  was  sometimes  customary,  where  the 
Indians  expected  to  live  for  some  time  in  one  place,  to 
scoop  out  the   earth  of  the  bottom  of  the  wigwam  and 


CAPE  HORN  ABORIGINES.  53 

heap  it  up  against  the  brush  wall,  thus  making  a  saucer- 
shaped  cavity  for  the  floor,  the  brim  of  which  rose  high 
enough  to  serve  somewhat  as  a  wind  break.  Moreover, 
the  limpet  and  other  shells  gathered  by  the  squaws  were 
commonly  piled  to  windward  of  the  hut.  But  even  then, 
if  judged  by  any  white  man's  standard,  the  Yahgan 
house  was  as  bad  as  any  in  the  world. 

So,  too,  of  his  dress.  He  wore  a  single  guanaco  or 
sealskin  across  his  shoulders,  holding  it  in  place  by 
thongs  that  crossed  his  breast.  This  was  the  best  he 
wore.  They  were  often  stark  naked,  save  for  a  breach 
clout,  and  the  children  were  always  so.  The  traveller 
who  visits  Hermite  Island,  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of 
Cape  Horn,  will  find  them  so  at  this  day.  Living  thus, 
"  shelterless  and  naked  in  a  land  of  fierce  and  freezing 
storms,"  one  need  not  wonder  that  even  scientific  ob- 
servers believed  the  Yahgan  "  the  most  miserable  speci- 
men of  humanity  to  be  found  on  earth." 

And  yet  all  who  thought  him  either  physically  or  men- 
tally uncomfortable  when  in  his  natural  state  were  en- 
tirely wrong.  On  the  contrary,  he  was  about  the  healthiest 
and  happiest  savage  that  ever  smashed  the  head  of  an 
egotistical,  meddlesome  white  man. 

The  Yahgan  was  built  for  the  climate  where  he  was 
found.  He  was  in  one  respect  like  the  whale  that  lived 
in  the  waters  about  him.  He  had  a  coat  of  fat  under 
his  skin  that  was  very  much  better  for  him  than  the  best 
of  flannels  and  blankets.  Besides,  he  had  a  custom  that 
at  once  protected  him  from  the  cold  and  rendered  him 
offensive  to  his  white  discoverers.  He  greased  himself 
all  over  frequently  with  any  oil  at  his  command,  and  that 
is  a  custom  worth  remembering  by  people  who  may  be 
cast  away  or  lost  in  cold  climates.     Had  the  early  ex- 


54  THE   GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORN. 

plorers  imitated  instead  of  despised  the  Yahgan,  they 
would  have  had  fewer  tales  of  suffering  to  tell.  In  these 
later  years,  sporting  men  of  the  United  States  have 
learned  that  when  about  to  enter  long-distance  swim- 
ming matches  they  can  endure  the  cooling  effects  of  a 
race  through  the  water  much  better  if  they  coat  them- 
selves thickly  with  some  such  grease  as  vaseline.  The 
Yahgan  used  whale  oil  as  we  use  vaseline.  The  explorers 
spoke  of  his  "  filthy  greasy  skin,"  but  the  scientific  sport- 
ing man  of  New  York  now  imitates  the  Yahgan,  even 
though  vaseline  gathers  during  a  swim  any  flotsam  that 
comes  handy  by.  The  Yahgan  was  "  shelterless  and 
naked  in  a  land  of  fierce  and  freezing  storms,"  but  he 
did  not  freeze  ;  he  did  not  even  shiver  in  ordinary  Cape 
Horn  weather. 

However,  one  can  understand  why  the  explorers  did 
not  perceive  the  real  condition  of  the  Yahgan.  They 
were  cold  in  spite  of  thick  flannels,  and  it  was  but  natu- 
ral that  they  should  judge  others  by  themselves. 

But  one  cannot  so  easily  understand  how  the  explorers 
fell  into  such  errors  as  they  did  about  the  ingenuity  and 
the  mechanical  skill  of  the  native.  The  results  of  Yah- 
gan handicraft  were  everywhere  visible.  He  could  not 
make  either  a  good  house  or  a  broadcloth  suit.  In  his 
hands  a  white  man's  coat  was  ripped  to  pieces  and  the 
strips  used  for  decorations.  But  there  were  his  canoes 
and  his  weapons — especially  his  canoes.  The  Yahgan 
boats  are  mentioned  slightingly,  if  at  all,  by  nearly  every 
traveller  who  has  visited  the  region. 

"  The  boats  are  unwieldy  and  logy,  and  the  Indians 
seem  to  have  no  knack  of  propelling  them  at  any  sort  of 
speed,"  says  a  latter-day  writer,  who  saw  a  canoe  of  the 
kind  in  the  Straits  of  Magellan.     This  was  the  writer's 


CAPE  HORN  ABORIGINES.  55 

judgment  in  the  matter.  But  along  with  his  judgment 
he  gave  the  dimensions  of  the  boat.  It  was  '*  about 
twenty-five  feet  long,  four  feet  wide,  and  three  feet  deep, 
with  comparatively  sharp  ends."  The  facts  as  I  saw 
them  are  so,  save  that  the  ends  seemed  to  me  to  be  ex- 
tremely sharp. 

Now  let  any  civilized  canoe  expert  imagine  a  boat  of 
those  proportions  with  lines  in  an  exact  arc  of  a  circle, 
and  then  let  him  say  whether  he  knows  of  any  superior 
model  among  either  civilized  or  savage  nations — a  model 
better  adapted  for  combined  speed,  safety,  and  capacity 
than  this.  My  own  experience  with  Indian  canoes  in- 
cludes the  kayaks  and  oomiaks  of  the  Eskimos  in  Green- 
land, the  dugouts  of  old  Providence  Island  in  the 
Caribbean  Sea,  and  the  bongos  of  the  Bay  of  Panama, 
but  I  am  bound  to  say  that  the  most  graceful  canoe,  as 
well  as  the  strongest,  I  ever  saw  was  made  by  the 
Yahgan. 

However,  one  fact  about  these  canoes  will  convince 
any  one  who  knows  what  Cape  Horn  storms  are  that  the 
Yahgan  canoe  is  of  a  remarkable  model.  The  Yahgans 
used  them  in  navigating  the  waters  of  the  Cape  Horn 
Archipelago.  Further  than  that,  both  the  Rev.  Thomas 
Bridges  and  the  Rev.  John  Lawrence,  who  for  twenty 
years  have  been  familiar  with  the  Yahgans,  told  me  that 
they  never  heard  of  a  Yahgan  being  upset  in  his  canoe 
until  in  these  later  years,  when  the  poss-ession  of  axes 
and  the  teachings  of  the  missionaries  led  the  Indians  to 
substitute  dugouts  of  an  entirely  different  model  for  the 
canoes  they  had  made  in  the  old  days. 

Judged  only  by  his  house  and  his  clothing,  the  Yah- 
gan was  of  a  lower  grade  of  intelligence,  or  at  least  was 
worse  off,  than  many  brutes.     Judged  by  his  canoe,  he 


56  THE   GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORN. 

was  a  naval  architect  who  produced  a  model  to  which  the 
designers  of  yachts  in  the  United  States  and  England 
are  in  these  days  of  "  spoon  "  bows  approaching,  but 
have  not  yet  equalled. 

When  the  Yahgan  would  build  a  canoe  he  stripped 
wide  pieces  of  bark  from  the  tallest  and  smoothest  tree 
trunks  he  could  find,  using  shell  axes,  in  the  old  days,  to 
cut  the  trees.  The  bark  was  stripped  from  the  trunk 
with  a  wooden  tool,  something  like  a  chisel,  and  of  the 
very  shape  found  most  advantageous  by  the  white  men 
who,  in  Pennsylvania  and  the  Adirondacks,  supply  hem- 
lock bark  to  the  tanneries.  Having  his  bark  off  the  tree, 
the  Yahgan  cut  the  strips  into  such  shape  that  when 
sewed  together  they  would  form  a  canoe  with  a  midship 
section,  say  four  feet  wide  by  three  deep,  that  was  almost 
the  arc  of  a  circle.  From  this  section  the  model  tapered 
away  almost  on  the  arc  of  another  circle.  It  had  a  sheer 
at  once  pleasing  to  the  eye  and  well  adapted  to  ride  the 
most  tempestuous  seas  in  the  world. 

To  brace  this  bark  sheathing  the  Yahgan  made  ribs 
of  split  saplings  that  looked  like  hickory  barrel  hoops — 
ribs  at  once  strong  and  light — while  the  rails  and  beams 
were  made  of  round  wood.  The  bark  strips  were  sewed 
together  with  whalebone  taken  from  whales  stranded  on 
the  beach.  The  ribs,  rails,  and  beams  were  lashed  in 
place  by  sinew,  usually  guanaco  sinew,  for  that  curious 
animal  is  found  on  several  islands  of  the  Yahgan  region. 

Into  the  bottom  of  this  canoe  the  Yahgan  put  an  in- 
verted sod  perhaps  two  by  three  feet  large,  and  on  this 
his  squaw  built  a  small  fire  for  warmth.  Forward  and 
aft  of  the  fire  were  put  little  layers  of  brush  and  grass. 
The  man  squatted  on  the  grass  forward  of  the  fire,  and 
his  favorite  squaw,  if  he  had  more  than  one,  was  just  aft 


CAPE  HORN-  ABORIGINES.  57 

of  it,  the  terms  forward  and  aft  being  used  to  indicate 
only  the  direction  in  which  the  canoe  travelled,  for  both 
ends  were  alike.  The  other  squaws  and  the  children 
were  distributed  further  from  the  fire,  A  squaw  with 
an  infant  would  keep  it  in  her  lap.  The  squaws  paddled, 
the  men  used  the  weapons. 

But  one  may  doubt  whether  the  Yahgan  canoe  shows 
greater  ingenuity  than  Yahgan  weapons  and  implements 
for  obtaining  food  do.  Mention  has  been  made  of 
the  shell  axe.  It  was  made  of  a  five-inch  clam  shell, 
or  one  larger.  A  rounded  stone  was  lashed  with  sinew 
to  the  hinge  side  of  the  shell  to  give  weight  and  make  a 
good  hand  hold.  Then  the  opposite  side  was  ground  to 
a  cutting  edge  by  rubbing  away  the  softer  inner  or  con- 
vex surface  on  a  smooth  rock.  Yahgan  chips  made  with 
this  tool  were  small,  but  to  see  the  rapidity  with  which 
an  old  Yahgan  makes  the  'blows,  or  better  still,  to  see 
the  wavy  surface  of  a  strip  of  wood  dressed  with  a  shell 
axe — a  paddle,  for  instance — is  a  matter  of  interest 
almost  worth  a  journey  to  the  region.  With  this  tool 
the  Yaghan  felled  trees,  or  fashioned  his  harpoon,  or 
stripped  the  blubber  from  a  stranded  whale,  or  trimmed 
his  o'er  long  bangs,  as  occasion  required. 

When  compared  with  the  stone  axes  used  by  ab- 
origines who  knew  not  iron,  this  shell  axe  is  a  striking 
illustration  of  noteworthy  differences  between  the  Yahgan 
and  the  other  tribes.  The  shell  axe  was  frail,  but  keen- 
edged.  It  required  a  quick  but  delicate  hand  to 
manipulate  it.  The  stone  axe  was  blunt  and  heavy. 
Impelled  by  a  rude  hand,  it  smashed  its  way  through 
whatever  opposed  its  progress.  With  the  shell  axe  in 
hand,  we  begin  to  perceive  somewhat  of  the  mental 
habits  and  character  of  the  Yahgan  Indian — to  see,  at 


58  THE   GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORN. 

least,  that  he  preferred  to  accomplish  certain  ends  by- 
delicate  means  rather  than  by  sheer  brute  strength. 

Then  there  were  his  harpoons.  I  have  one  of  which 
the  head,  made  from  a  whale  rib,  is  twenty-five  and  one 
quarter  inches  long.  To  make  a  diagram  of  it  let  the 
reader  place  a  dot  on  a  sheet  of  paper  to  represent  the 
point,  and  then  draw  from  this  dot  two  straight  lines 
that  shall  diverge  from  each  other  only  one  inch  and 
three  quarters  when  twenty-one  inches  long.  That  will 
give  an  idea  of  the  beautiful  taper  of  the  weapon.  It 
has  a  single  barb,  at  once  deep  and  strong.  It  is  secured 
to  the  shaft  in  such  a  way  that  when  a  seal  was  struck 
the  harpoon  head  dropped  from  its  place  in  the  shaft,  or 
handle,  after  which  the  handle  was  towed  broadside 
on  through  the  water  by  the  wounded  beast.  Of  course, 
towing  the  harpoon  shaft  in  this  fashion  impeded  the 
animal's  flight  more  than  towing  it  end  on  would  do. 

Another  harpoon  that  I  have  is  twenty-one  inches 
long,  and  but  one  inch  wide  and  a  half  inch  thick  at  the 
base,  but  instead  of  one  heavy  barb  near  the  base  it  has 
a  series  of  twenty-six  small  ones  along  one  side.  These 
barbs  hook  back  like  shark's  teeth,  and  are  about  as 
keen-pointed.  Nothing  of  better  shape  to  hold  fast 
could  be  devised  by  a  fish-hook  maker.  Indeed,  the 
turtle  hunters  of  the  West  Indies,  who  have  a  steel 
harpoon  of  a  similar  shape,  do  not  make  as  well-formed 
barbs.  The  harpoon  of  one  barb  is  for  seals,  otters,  and 
small  whales  (large  whales  were  never  attacked  unless 
stranded),  while  the  other  form  was  for  the  various 
kinds  of  birds  found  in  the  region. 

For  fish  spears  the  Yahgan  lashed  two  or  three  of  the 
bird  harpoon  heads  to  a  shaft  in  such  a  manner  that  the 
points  were  spread  out ;  the  harpoon  heads  formed  a  V 


CAPE   HORN  ABORIGINES.  59 

or  a  tripod,  as  the  case  might  be,  and  the  barbs  were  all 
on  the  inside.  The  fish  were  speared  at  night  by  the 
light  of  a  torch.  By  having  two  or  more  of  the  harpoon 
heads  on  the  shaft  the  chances  of  hitting  the  dimly  seen 
fish  were  of  course  increased,  and,  moreover,  a  fish 
caught  between  two  of  the  harpoon  heads  and  impaled 
by  a  third,  was  held  no  matter  how  it  struggled  or  what 
its  strength. 

Nor  were  the  spear  and  harpoon  handles  merely  sap- 
lings cut  in  the  forest.  The  Yahgan  used  a  perfectly 
round  handle  for  one  harpoon  and  a  six-square  handle 
for  the  other,  and  both  were  worked  from  solid  wood 
with  his  wonderful  shell  axe.  I  speak  now,  of  course,  of 
the  original  native  weapon,  and  not  of  what  the  modern 
Yahgan  buys  of  white  traders. 

If  any  reader  owns  one  of  the  old  specimens  of 
Indian  workmanship  let  him  keep  it  with  great  care,  for 
the  workmen  who  could  make  them  are  dead  and  their 
art  is  lost  forever. 

Less  showy  but  equally  remarkable  were  the  peculiar 
wooden  chisels  with  which  the  squaws  stripped  limpets 
from  rocks  six  feet  under  water  and  brought  them  to  the 
surface,  although  they  were  as  heavy  and  as  ready  to 
sink  as  stones. 

For  gathering  shell-fish  the  squaws  made  baskets  of 
rushes.  These  baskets  were  of  the  shape  of  the  plain 
earthen  cooking  jars  found  in  the  old  ruins  and  cave 
dwellings  of  New  Mexico  and  Arizona. 

For  a  long-range  weapon  the  Yahgan  used  the  sling. 
He  saw  the  Ona  Indians  with  their  bows  and  arrows. 
The  Onas  also  used  the  bolas,  which  are  the  favorite 
weapons  of  the  Patagonian  Indians.  With  the  Ona  In- 
dians the  bow  and  the  bolas  were  used  with  great  success 


6o  THE   GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORN. 

in  killing  the  fleet-footed  guanaco.  Now  the  Yahgan,  as 
said,  found  the  guanaco  in  his  own  proper  country  as 
well  as  when  he  went  visiting  the  Onas  on  the  border- 
land, and  he  must  have  fully  appreciated  all  that  the 
..  Onas  could  do  with  their  bolas  and  bows.  Some  of  the 
^  Yahgans  even  learned  to  use  these  Ona  weapons,  but 
they  never  adopted  them.  The  reason  is  not  far  to  seek. 
The  Yahgan  sling  had  a  much  greater  range.  The  mis- 
sionaries tell  about  Yahgans  killing  birds  afloat  at  a  dis- 
tance of  two  hundred  yards.  To  hit  any  wild  fowl  at 
that  distance  with  a  rifle  would  be  called  right  good 
shooting.  The  guanaco  was  knocked  down  and  stunned 
by  heavy  round  pebbles  at  ranges  up  to  one  hundred 
yards. 

Why,  then,  did  not  the  Ona  adopt  the  sling  ?  The 
answer  is  an  interesting  one  for  the  student  of  anthro- 
pology. The  home  of  the  Ona  was  on  the  prairies  of 
Tierra  del  Fuego,  where  round  pebbles  are  not  to  be 
found,  but  material  for  bows  and  arrows  is  abundant. 
The  Ona  could  not  burden  himself  with  pebbles  for  a 
sling  when  journeying  across  these  prairies.  On  the 
other  hand,  the  Yahgan  lived  on  the  beaches,  where 
rounded  pebbles  were  forever  at  hand,  and  when  he 
travelled  it  was  not  afoot,  as  the  Ona  did,  but  in  a  first- 
class  canoe,  where  he  could  carry  as  many  pebbles  as  he 
wanted. 

The  Yahgan  sling  was  made  of  a  piece  of  raw  hide,  to 
which  were  attached  strings  of  braided  sinew  that  always 
ended  in  fancifully  wrought  knots. 

The  Yahgans  did  not  fish  with  hooks,  because  they 
could  catch  more  fish  without.  The  squaws  caught  the 
fish.  They  paddled  to  the  fishing  ground  in  the  morn- 
ing and  at  night,  when  for  an  hour  each  time,  the  light 


CAPE  HORN  ABORIGINES.  6l 

being  just  right,  the  fish  would  bite.  The  line  was  a 
strand  of  seaweed,  which  may  be  had  there,  slender  and 
strong,  of  any  length  up  to  a  hundred  fathoms,  perhaps. 
Bait — meat — was  tied  to  one  end  of  the  line,  which  was 
loaded  with  a  sinker  of  stone  rounded  to  a  shape  to  sink 
swiftly.  The  fish  swallowed  the  bait  and  the  squaw  drew 
it  gently  but  quickly  to  the  surface.  Then  she  snatched 
the  fish  into  the  boat  and  the  bait  from  its  gullet  with  a 
motion  that  Georges  Bank  codfishermen  understand, 
and  then  let  her  bait  run  quickly  down  again.  Some 
fish,  too  large  to  land  thus,  were  speared  when  they  came 
in  sight.  The  time  for  fishing  was  so  short  that  the 
squaws  had  to  improve  it  to  the  utmost  advantage, 
especially  as  there  were  many  days  when  the  storms 
prevented  all  fishing.  They  had  no  time  to  waste  in  re- 
moving hooks  from  the  gullets  of  fish.  It  is  a  fact  that 
when  hooks  were  given  them  by  seamen  they  never  used 
the  things  for  fishing.  The  Yahgan  squaws  did  not 
know  the  joys  of  taking  four-pound  trout  with  a  seven- 
ounce  rod,  but  they  had  just  as  much  fun  as  do  the  New 
Yorkers  who  go  out  to  the  fishing  banks  every  summer 
day,  and  they  caught  more  fish,  too. 

The  Yahgan  household  utensils  were  few  in  number 
and  of  the  simplest  character.  He  made  neither  pots, 
nor  kettles,  nor  cups,  nor  basins,  nor  any  sort  of  recep- 
tacle for  liquids.  He  never  boiled  his  food,  and  when 
the  missionaries  came  to  the  Yahgan  land  the  Indians 
found  the  spectacle  of  a  pot  full  of  boiling  meat  a  most 
entertaining  one.  And  yet  the  Yahgans  tried  out  the 
oil  from  whale  blubber  and  other  fats,  and  stored  it 
away  for  future  use.  The  fat  was  impaled  on  a  stick 
that  was  then  thrust  into  the  ground  close  to  a  bed  of 
coals.     The  oil  was  tried  out  thus,  and  it  dripped  down 


62  THE   GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  BORN. 

into  the  shoulder  blade  of  a  guanaco  kept  for  the  pur- 
pose. When  the  hollow  of  this  bone  was  full,  the  oil 
was  poured  into  a  bladder  or  into  the  bladder-like 
leaf  of  a  seaweed  that  can  be  found  everywhere  in  the 
region.  Moreover,  there  were  large  clam  and  other  sea 
shells  on  every  beach.  These  served  every  need  of  the 
Yahgan  in  the  way  of  cups  and  basins.  What  he  needed 
to  make  he  made  with  unusual  neatness  and  skill,  but  he 
knew  when  he  had  enough  and  worked  for  nothing  what- 
ever beyond. 

If,  now,  it  has  been  demonstrated  that  the  early  ex- 
plorers looked  at  the  Yahgan  products  through  preju- 
diced eyes,  the  reader  will  pass  with  increasing  pleasure 
to  a  consideration  of  the  habits  of  thought  and  mental 
capacity  of  this  Antarctic  highlander.  I  quote  Darwin 
in  this  matter,  because  he  was  the  most  eminent  of  all 
who  have  seen  the  Yahgans,  and  should  have  been  less 
liable  than  others  to  make  errors. 

Darwin  had  on  his  ship  a  Yahgan  called  Jemmy  Button, 
who  had  been  carried  to  England  and  taught  some  of  the 
English  language.  Of  this  Yahgan  Darwin  said  :  "  I 
should  think  there  was  scarcely  another  human  being 
with  so  small  a  stock  of  language." 

The  Rev.  Thomas  Bridges,  who  now  lives  opposite 
Gable  Island,  in  the  Beagle  Channel,  has  for  nearly  forty 
years  made  a  study  of  the  Yahgans  and  their  language. 
He  has  made  out  of  this  study  a  complete  grammar  of 
their  language,  and  has  Avritten  what  is  practically  a 
complete Yahgan-English  lexicon.  Fully  to  appreciate 
the  facts  that  appear  in  these  two  manuscript  books,  one 
must  not  only  be  something  of  a  linguist,  but  must  have 
knowledge  of  other  aboriginal  tribes.  For  instance,  it  is 
helpful  to  know  that  Ensign  Roger  Wells,  Jr.,  U.  S.  Navy, 


CAPE  HORN  ABORIGINES.  6% 

working  in  Alaska,  prepared  an  Anglo-EskimoVocabulary 
of  2263  words,  and  an  Eskimo-English  Vocabulary  of 
2418  words.  To  quote  from  a  pamphlet  issued  by  the 
Alaskan  Bureau  of  Education  in  1890,  Circular  of 
Information  No.  2^  the  most  important  contribution 
to  a  knowledge  of  the  Eskimo  language  is  in  process 
of  preparation  by  L.  M.  Turner,  in  his  observations 
made  in  1882-S4,  at  Point  Barrow.  "  It  will  contain  -a 
vocabulary  of  the   Koksoagmyut  of  over  7000   words." 

Cruden's  Concordance  of  the  Bible  gives  7200  words 
exclusive  of  proper  names  ;  Cleveland's  Concordance  to 
the  Poems  of  Alilton  gives  Milton's  Vocabulary  as  17,377 
words,  while  Shakespeare  himself  had  a  vocabulary  of 
about  24,000. 

But  the  Yahgans,  despised  by  many  as  "  savages  of 
the  lowest  grade,"  pitied  by  a  few  as  "  most  abject  and 
miserable  creatures  " — these  Yahgans  had  a  language 
from  which  has  been  compiled  a  vocabulary  of  over 
40,000  words. 

As  I  have  said,  this  is  a  story  in  part  of  one  of  the 
most  interesting  American  tribes.  How  small  is  the  pro- 
portion of  the  story  that  I  can  give  may  be  inferred  from 
what  has  just  been  said  about  their  language.  Where 
did  they  get  or  develop  all  those  words  ?  Are  those 
40,000  words  the  remains  of  a  language  which,  under 
other  circumstances,  was  greater,  or  is  the  vocabulary 
now  at  its  greatest  state  of  perfection  ?  How  does  it 
happen  that  such  a  remarkable  mental  development  was 
found  in  a  people  that  lived  as  these  Yahgans  did  ? 
Questions  multiply,  but  no  answers  are  found. 

Anthropologists  suppose  that  the  peoples  living  at  the 
ends  of  the  earth  under  adverse  circumstances  are  "  con- 
quered races,   exiles,  or  criminals."     It  is    guessed  by 


64  THE  GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORN. 

some  who  have  read  of  the  Yahgan  that  he  comes  from 
some  ancient  Peruvian  or  Brazilian  civilized  tribe,  and 
fled  in  war  time  to  Cape  Horn.  But  the  Yahgan  lan- 
guage is  not  that  of  Peru  or  of  Brazil,  or  even  that  of 
the  lost  tribes  of  Israel.  There  is  in  it  nothing  to  connect 
it  with  any  of  the  other  great  languages  of  the  world. 
Why,  then,  should  we  think  incredible  the  possibility  of 
the  Yahgans  having  originated  where  they  are  ?  In  the 
alluvial  beds  of  Patagonia  and  of  Tierra  del  Fuego  are 
found  the  petrified  remains  of  the  opossum,  the  kangaroo, 
and  the  monkey.  The  ostrich  and  a  modified  camel 
(the  guanaco),  now  live  on  the  desert  plains  of  Patagonia. 
Who,  then,  shall  say  positively  that  the  Yahgan  race  has 
not  lived  through  the  cataclysms  that  destroyed  the 
opossum  and  the  monkey  and  left  the  ostrich  and  the 
camel  ? 

Some  years  ago  the  Chili  Government  sent  an  expedi- 
tion to  explore  the  Yahgan  country.  The  report  made 
by  the  commander  on  his  return  refers  to  the  Yahgan 
language  as  "nasal  and  harsh  ;  it  sounds  like  the  bark- 
ing of  a  dog,"  but  all  who  speak  the  language  agree  that 
it  is  as  soft  and  sweet  to  the  ear  as  a  love-song  in 
French. 

To  make  a  study  of  the  construction  of  this  language 
here  would  be  impossible  for  lack  of  space,  even  if  I 
knew  the  facts,  but  something  of  the  way  the  Yahgans 
talked  to  one  another  will  be  interesting,  because  it  gives 
an  insight  into  their  character.  Let  it  be  remembered 
that  this  was  a  tribe  of  so-called  savages,  and  that  among 
savages  the  squaw  is  supposed  to  be  a  wretched  slave. 
To  the  casual  observer  the  Yahgan  squaw  was  a  slave. 
She  paddled  the  canoe  "  while  the  man  sat  in  the  bow 
holding   his   weapons."     But  the  Yahgan    squaw's  life 


CAFE  HORN  ABORIGINES.  6$ 

was  certainly  not  without  its  amenities,  if  one  may  judge 
by  the  language. 

Thus  the  Yahgan  man  never  spoke  to  his  squaw  of 
any  property  in  the  family  as  '*  mine."  He  said  "  ours  " 
instead.  He  even  said  "  our  harpoon."  He  never  gave 
orders  directly  to  either  squaw  or  child.  If  he  wanted 
something  done  he  would  use  an  expression  that  meant 
"  Tell  to  do  "  ;  it  was  as  if  he  said  to  his  squaw,  "  Have 
some  one  do  so  and  so."  More  remarkable  still,  there 
was  no  such  word  in  the  language  as  "  obey."  They 
said  instead,  "  Oblige  me  by,"  "  Make  me  the  favor  of," 
"  Would  you  be  pleased  or  be  so  kind  as  to  do  this  or 
that  ?"  Even  when  the  Yahgan  was  angry  and  wished 
to  drive  away  an  offensive  person  he  used  a  polite 
sentence. 

As  among  civilized  people  certain  terms  and  names 
may  be  used  between  man  and  wife,  or  when  talking  to 
a  physician  or  between  two  men  talking  alone,  without 
incurring  an  accusation  of  using  indecent  language,  so 
among  the  Yahgans  there  were  certain  forms  of  expres- 
sion for  use  in  private  and  others  for  society.  In  short, 
it  was  a  modest  race  ;  in  this  respect  it  was,  perhaps, 
the  most  remarkable  of  all  the  American  Indian  nations. 

They  had  poets  and  novelists  and  historians.  They 
knew,  for  instance,  how  to  tell  in  the  most  delicate 
fashion  those  sly  stories  in  which  the  point  was  found  in 
the  thought  of  the  listeners,  and  not  in  the  words  of  the 
speaker — where  the  speaker's  words  suggested  but  did 
not  say  the  thought.  No  people  in  the  world  enjoyed 
well-told  stories  of  the  kind  more  than  they,  but  only 
the  skilful — the  literati — were  permitted  to  tell  them. 
A  gross  expression  was  never  permitted  in  company. 
It  is  a  lasting  pity  that  none  of  these  tales  has  been 

5 


66  THE   GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORN, 

preserved  for  study.  The  missionary  taught  the  Yahgans 
that  their  soul's  salvation  was  imperilled  by  such  thoughts, 
and  the  remnant  of  the  race  has  become  so  degraded  in 
every  way  that  the  best  of  this  wonderful  oral  literature 
has  been  lost. 

They  had  songs,  but  no  music  as  civilized  people 
understand  that  word.  Their  songs  were  what  travellers 
call  ''monotonous  chants."  However,  they  danced  to 
some  songs,  and  their  words  were  poetic  if  the  song  did 
lack  jingle  and  varied  intonations. 

"  Food  was  abundant  in  the  old  days,"  said  the  Rev. 
Thomas  Bridges,  "  and  life  was  easy  with  them."  Hence 
the  Yahgans  had  abundant  leisure  to  sit  about  the  hut 
fire  and  talk  to  one  another.  Their  conversation  is  best 
described  by  the  word  bright.  They  were  as  quick- 
witted— as  quick  and  brilliant  at  repartee  as  the  Irish  or 
French.  They  also  made  many  puns.  They  were  what 
may  be  called  a  "  clubable  race,"  to  borrow  a  Johnsonian 
expression.  The  missionaries  say  that  within  their  limits 
of  knowledge  they  were  ready  and  logical  thinkers. 
Sarcastic  remarks  and  cynical  observations  abounded  in 
their  fireside  conversations,  as  well  as  flashes  of  kindly 
humor. 

In  politics  and  religion  they  were  almost  equally  in- 
teresting. They  had  no  form  of  government — neither 
chief  nor  legislative  council — but  public  opinion  ruled 
with  an  iron  hand.  Theirs  was  the  simplest  form  of  a 
republic.  When  men  violated  social  usages,  as  some- 
times happened,  the  guilty  were  ostracized,  and  such 
was  the  habit  of  thought  among  them  that  this  ostracism 
drove  the  guilty  one  away  to  live  by  himself.  Occa- 
sionally several  families  were  thus  driven  into  exile  to- 
gether, but  I  did  not  learn  of  the  existence  of  any  such 


CAPE  HORN  ABORIGINES.  67 

colonies  of  outlaws  as  that  found  below  St.  LaAvrence 
Bay  on  the  Siberian  coast  or  the  Kevalinyes,  whose  home 
is  back  of  Point  Hope  in  Alaska. 

Crimes  against  property  were  rare.  As  to  the  prop- 
erty of  white  men  they  were  called  thieves  and  robbers. 
Fitzroy  is  particularly  severe  on  them  in  describing  their 
lax  notions  about  property.  It  seems  to  me,  however, 
that  the  Yahgans  and  all  aboriginal  tribes,  for  that  mat- 
ter, have  been  unjustly  condemned  in  this  matter.  That 
they  took  things  that  seemed  of  infinite  value  to  them, 
which  did  not  belong  to  them,  is  not  denied.  But  this 
act  was  not  morally  what  the  same  act  on  the  part  of  a 
civilized  man  would  have  been.  Among  the  aborigines 
— especially  among  the  Yahgans — there  was  much  prop- 
erty held  in  common.  It  was  no  harm  among  them  to 
take  of  a  neighbor's  fuel  ;  his  paints  were  freely  divided  ; 
his  wood  for  use  in  making  paddles  or  spear-shafts  was 
practically  common  property.  All  food  taken  was  equally 
divided,  and  when  chance  threw  a  prize,  say  a  wrecked 
ship,  in  their  way,  all  shared  the  valuables  found.  So 
when  they  saw  among  white  men  a  superabundance  of 
good  things,  the  taking  of  what  they  saw  did  not  seem 
the  evil  thing  that  it  would  have  been  to  the  conscience 
of  a  white  thief.  They  were,  in  short,  socialists  rather 
than  thieves. 

Crimes  against  the  person  were  avenged  by  the  injured 
one  or  his  relatives,  so  that  feuds  and  vendettas  led 
families  to  hunting  each  other,  hither  and  yon,  across 
stormy  seas  and  into  wild  and  secluded  nooks  and  inlets. 
But  the  Yahgan  did  not  delight  in  open  warfare  or 
bloodshed.  Warfare  with  neighboring  tribes  was  almost 
unknown.  The  nearest  approach  to  it  was  when  some 
Yahgan  family  went  hunting  some  family  of  a  neighbor- 


68  THE   GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORN. 

ing  tribe  to  avenge  an  injury  suffered  by  some  member 
of  the  aggressive  family.  On  rare  occasions  other  fami- 
lies in  both  tribes  took  up  the  quarrel. 

The  Yahgan  could  work  himself  into  a  foaming  pas- 
sion— he  literally  frothed  at  the  mouth  in  his  rage — but 
he  preferred  to  make  even  murder  a  fine  art.  He  would 
plan  and  scheme  for  months  in  order  that  he  might  re- 
venge himself  without  making  an  open  attack.  It  is 
said  that  even  the  strong  and  influential  in  a  clan  would 
work  in  this  fashion  when  seeking  revenge  on  the  weaker 
ones,  who  might  have  been  crushed  by  a  blow  at  any 
moment. 

A  favorite  way  of  killing  an  enemy  was  found  in  the 
practice  of  gathering  the  eggs  of  the  sea  fowl.  In  the 
Cape  Horn  region  the  sea  fowl  make  their  nests  on  the 
faces  of  precipices  that  literally  overhang  the  stormy 
seas.  There  is  but  one  way  to  reach  the  nests.  The  egg 
gatherer  must  be  lowered  by  a  rope  from  the  brow  of 
the  cliff.  The  Yahgans  had  an  excellent  rope  in  the  long 
stalks  of  seaweed  common  in  the  region,  and  the  egg 
harvest  was  for  most  of  them  a  time  of  rejoicing.  It  was 
also  the  time  for  bloody  revenges.  The  one  who  sought 
revenge  would  ask  his  enemy  to  go  seeking  eggs,  and 
that  was  an  invitation  not  to  be  declined.  Even  when 
the  invited  one  suspected  a  sinister  motive  in  the  cordial- 
ity of  the  request  he  must  needs  accept,  because  a  re- 
fusal would  be  construed  by  his  neighbors  into  an 
acknowledgment  that  the  other  had  cause  for  seeking 
revenge.  And  such  an  acknowledgment  would  justify 
the  other  in  more  open  means  of  revenge,  and  would 
stamp  the  refuser  as  a  coward  also. 

So  the  invited  one  would  smilingly  accept  the  invita- 
tion.    With  his  heart  sinking  within  him,  he  would  fol- 


Cape  horn  aborigines.  69 

low  the  leader  to  the  crest  of  the  awful  precipice,  look 
down  five  hundred  feet  to  the  crags  at  its  foot,  and  then 
without  a  word  suffer  himself  to  be  lowered  over  the 
brow  at  the  end  of  a  rope  that  he  knew  would  soon  be 
chafed  until  his  weight  would  break  it. 

These  Yahgans  had  no  knowledge  of  God  or  of  a  life 
to  come.  That  they  should  have  faced  certain  death  in 
a  frightful  form  thus  calmly  when  they  were  young,  and 
life  was  still  sweet,  and  a  loved  wife  and  children  would 
be  left  to  other  hands,  is  one  of  their  most  interesting 
characteristics. 

Although  about  all  the  crimes  known  to  Yahgans  grew 
out  of  the  relations  of  the  sexes — although  there  was 
almost  invariably  a  woman  in  every  case — it  is  a  fact 
that  the  grossest  crimes  of  passion  known  to  civilized 
races  (such  as  incest)  were  unknown  among  Yahgans. 

Marriage  was  a  matter  of  purchase  and  sale  ;  wives 
were  sold,  sometimes,  by  husbands,  and  daughters  were 
invariably  sold  by  fathers.  The  marriage  ceremony  con- 
sisted in  painting  the  girl  in  a  certain  fashion  for  several 
days  before  she  was  delivered  to  her  husband.  A  new 
canoe  was  very  often  the  price  of  a  girl.  It  is  a  curious 
fact,  illustrative  of  Yahgan  society,  that  a  father  some- 
times sold  his  girls  to  men  whom  he  did  not  really  like. 
A  man  of  influence  could  have  any  girl  he  wished  ;  her 
father  would  rather  let  the  transfer  be  made  than  offend 
the  man  of  influence,  and  that,  too,  when  the  influential 
fellow  already  had  a  wife  or  two.  But  there  were  forms 
and  methods  in  the  marriage  negotiations  that  were  dear 
to  the  Yahgan  heart.  The  dicker  for  a  wife  as  con- 
ducted amounted  to  what  would  be  among  civilized  peo- 
ple at  once  an  intrigue  and  the  negotiating  of  a  treaty. 
It  was  because  of  this  delicacy  of  feeling  among   the 


70  THE   GOLD   DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORN. 

Yahgans  that  the  brutal  white  whalers  and  seal  hunters 
that  came  to  the  region  were  unable  to  do  any  serious 
damage  to  this  race  previous  to  the  year  1870.  The  Yah- 
gan  would  not  tolerate  the  rude  lasciviousness  of  the 
white  seamen,  and  until  taught  that  it  was  wicked,  stood 
up,  man  fashion,  and  fought  in  defence  of  his  wives  and 
daughters. 

In  religion  the  Yahgans  were  oddities,  though  not 
unique.  They  knew  nothing  of  God,  and  had  no  word 
expressive  of  such  an  idea.  To  the  great  grief  of  the 
missionaries,  there  was  nothing  in  the  Yahgan  lan- 
guage by  which  the  idea  of  an  everlasting,  all-powerful 
God  who  must  be  obeyed  could  be  adequately  conveyed 
to  Yahgan  listeners,  nor  had  they  any  word  for  or  thought 
of  a  future  life. 

But  the  Yahgan's  mind  was  not  wholly  material.  He 
believed  in  spirits  or  supernatural  and  invisible  beings, 
but  these  were  invariably  terrible.  There  was  a  spirit  of 
the  forest,  and  another  of  the  water,  and  another  of  the 
kelp.  Crouching  over  his  tiny  fire  by  night,  the  Yahgan 
heard  weird  voices  among  the  waving  trees  on  the  moun- 
tain side  above  him,  he  felt  the  breath  that  scattered  the 
embers  of  his  hearth,  he  saw  the  deluge  that  drowned 
out  even  his  brightest  flames,  and  all  these  were  mani- 
festations of  a  power  that  was  ill-defined  in  his  mind, 
but  nevertheless  real.  The  Yahgan  mother  in  this  fear- 
somfei  presence  clasped  her  babe  more  closely  to  her 
bosdm,  not  that  it  was  cold,  but  to  save  it  from  some 
grasping  hand  that  was  always  expected,  but  never 
came. 

In  the  eddying  waters  of  the  tide  rip  was  a  boisterous 
devil  that  strove  at  one  moment  to  throw  the  canoe  into 
the  air,  and  the  next  to  suck  it  down  to  the  unknown 


CAPE  HORN  ABORIGINES.  7 1 

region  below,  while  in  the  beds  of  kelp  lurked  a  silent 
spirit  that  with  soft  and  slimy  touch  grasped  the  bottom 
of  the  canoe,  and  held  it  fast  until  at  times  the  frantic 
occupants  leaped  overboard  and  disappeared. 

In  their  thoughts  of  death  the  Yahgans  were  perhaps 
unique.  They  had  a  word  which  meant  dead.  When  a 
seal  had  been  harpooned,  or  a  tree  cut  down,  or  a  fish 
beheaded,  they  said  that  death  ensued.  The  thing  killed 
was  dead.  They  had  another  word  which  meant  lost. 
If  a  tool  were  mislaid  so  that  it  could  not  be  found,  or  if 
a  dog  were  left  somewhere  on  the  coast  so  that  he  could 
not  find  his  way  to  his  master's  hut,  the  tool  or  the  dog 
was  lost. 

In  times  of  sickness  or  of  wounds,  the  Yahgans 
gathered  about  an  afflicted  one  and  with  rude  incanta- 
tions strove  to  save  the  ebbing  life  until  the  spirit  had 
gone  forever.  Then  they  quickly  took  up  the  body, 
and,  carrying  it  out  of  the  wigwam,  buried  it  where  it 
could  be  most  easily  put  out  of  sight.  This  done,  they 
returned  and  painted  their  faces  in  such  fashion  that  all 
other  Yahgans  who  beheld  them  could  tell  how  closely 
the  dead  one  had  been  related  to  the  living,  and  the 
cause  of  the  death — whether  by  disease,  by  accident,  or 
by  murder.  This  was  their  only  way  of  showing  they 
were  in  mourning.  They  rarely  spoke  of  the  one  who 
had  passed  away,  and  when  they  did  so  speak  they  never 
said  he  was  dead.     They  said  he  was  lost. 

This  also  was  a  matter  of  grief  to  the  missionaries. 
When  they  would  have  spoken  to  the  Yahgan  of  his  dead 
relatives  they  could  not  without  offending  him  seriously  ; 
at  least  that  was  the  condition  of  affairs  when  the  mis- 
sionaries first  came. 

They  had  a  folk-lore  that  is  now  for  the  most  part  for- 


72  THE   GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORN. 

gotten,  but  one  of  their  traditions  was  at  the  foundation 
of  a  cruel  custom.  Long  ago,  they  said,  a  Yahgan 
woman  chose  a  great  rock  instead  of  a  husband,  and, 
in  consequence,  bore  a  child  that  was  at  once  a  human 
being  and  a  stone.  When  this  hybrid  grew  to  man's 
estate  it  turned  against  the  tribe,  because,  perhaps,  of 
indignities  suffered  by  its  mother,  who  was  ostracized. 
No  Yahgan  man  could  stand  against  it,  though  numbers 
could  temporarily  overpower  it.  They,  therefore,  com- 
bined and  thrust  harpoons  through  it  ;  they  chopped  it 
to  pieces  ;  they  weighted  it  with  rocks  and  cast  it  into  a 
lake  ;  but  after  each  apparent  death  it  appeared  again  in 
another  part  of  the  coast  as  healthy  as  and  rather  more 
malicious  than  before.  The  monster  was  rapidly  be- 
coming an  invincible  terror,  when,  by  chance,  it  stepped 
on  a  thorn,  which  pierced  its  heel  and  the  monster  was 
unable  to  extract  it.  Its  heel  was  the  one  part  of  its 
body  where  a  mortal  wound  could  be  inflicted.  From 
the  effects  of  this  thorn  it  became  gradually  weakened, 
and  they  were  eventually  able  to  destroy  it  altogether. 
The  memory  of  the  deeds  done  by  this  being  was  so 
terrifying,  that  the  tribe  determined  that  no  such  thing 
should  ever  come  again  to  wreck  their  peace. 

To  prevent  such  a  coming  they  invariably  destroyed 
at  birth  any  infant  that  came  into  the  world  not  perfectly 
formed.  The  Yahgan's  stature  was  not  such  as  to  meet 
the  approval  of  the  British  explorers  from  whom  Ameri- 
cans have  obtained  their  ideas  of  Yahgan  forms,  but 
there  never  was  a  natural-born  cripple  to  be  seen  among 
them. 

What  the  Yahgans'  claims  to  physical  beauty  were 
may  still  be  learned  by  one  who  sees  them  at  the 
Hermite  group  of  islands,  but  in  the  Beagle  Channel  they 


CAPE  HORN  ABORIGINES.  73 

have  been  so  altered  by  new  clothing  and  habits  of  life 
that  scarcely  a  trace  of  their  old-time  form  remains. 
The  description  of  the  old-time  navigator  is  not  attrac- 
tive : 

These  poor  wretches  were  stunted  in  their  growth,  their  hideous 
faces  bedaubed  with  paint,  their  skins  filthy  and  greasy,  their  hair 
entangled. 

They  are  elsewhere  spoken  of  as  having  dark,  copper- 
colored  skins,  or  skins  of  the  color  of  iron  rust,  while 
Captain  Fitzroy  pictures  them  as  almost  black. 

One  may  admit  that  these  old  explorers  had  good  eyes, 
that  they  generally  described  with  accuracy  what  they 
saw,  and  yet  may  prove  that  the  Yahgans  were  not 
hideous. 

To  begin  the  argument,  it  must  be  said  that  the  mis- 
sionaries, who  had  no  interest  in  making  the  untutored 
Yahgan  appear  in  a  better  light  than  that  in  which  he 
was  found,  say  that  he  was  a  polite  and  affectionate 
husband  and  father,  faithful  in  the  care  of  widows  and 
orphans,  a  generous  neighbor,  and  an  ardent  lover. 
Food  was  abundant,  and  hard  labor  rarely  necessary. 
He  dehghted  in  what  civilized  people  call  the  higher 
pleasures,  the  joys  of  good  stories,  witty  sayings,  quick 
repartee,  and  he  had  almost  unlimited  opportunity  for 
cultivating  the  faculties  which  gave  him  greatest 
pleasure.     How  could  such  a  man  be  hideous  ? 

The  answer  to  the  allegation  made  by  the  explorers 
who  called  the  Yahgan  so  is  not  far  to  seek.  They 
never  saw  the  Yahgan.  They  only  saw  the  coating  of 
paint  and  whale  oil  that  covered  him,  and  because  this 
was  offensive  to  them  they  called  him  hideous.  The 
Yahgan  when  washed  clean,  did  not  look  like  the  Yah- 


74  THE    GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORN. 

gan  clothed  in  whale  oil,  smoke  from  the  ever-present 
fire,  ashes,  powdered  iron  ore,  pipe  clay — what  not. 
When  washed  he  was  not  black  ;  he  was  not  even  copper 
colored.  He  was  as  white  as  the  quarter  bloods  one 
sees  in  the  Cherokee  nation  and  as  well  featured.  The 
young  women  were  very  like  those  of  mixed  blood  who 
grace  the  halls  of  the  female  seminary  at  Tahlequa,  the 
Cherokee  capitol.  The  modern  tourist  camera  proves 
it.  Yahgans  had  straight  black  hair,  great  dark  eyes, 
full  red  lips,  breasts  like  a  Greek  Venus,  rounded  limbs, 
and  small  hands  and  feet.  Better  yet,  they  had  a  merry, 
hearty  laugh  that  was  irresistibly  infectious.  They 
flushed  with  pleasure,  and  blushed  and  drooped  as  if 
from  a  blow  when  shamed. 

If  ever  the  moans  of  outraged  Indian  maidenhood 
were  charged  up  by  the  Recording  Angel  against  the 
brutality  of  the  civilized  man,  it  was  when  the  sufficient 
arm  that  protected  the  Yahgan  girl  was  withdrawn 
through  a  misapplication  of  the  gospel  of  peace. 

Just  how  the  Yahgan  maiden  lost  that  protecting  arm 
— ^just  how  it  happened  that  the  forecastle  brutes  came 
to  be  free  to  go  and  come  as  they  pleased  among  the 
Yahgan  homes — will  be  told  in  the  next  chapter,  but 
what  that  arm  was  is  found  in  the  tales  of  seamen  cast  on 
these  shores  in  the  old  days,  or  caught  napping  there 
when  seeking  fuel  or  water  for  their  ships. 

When  a  band  of  Yahgans  saw  a  crew  of  white  men 
ashore  in  former  times,  their  course  of  action  was  gov- 
erned entirely  by  the  numbers  of  the  whites,  or,  rather, 
by  the  comparative  strength  of  the  two  parties.  If  the 
whites  were  stronger,  the  Indians  were  peaceable  ;  when 
it  was  safe  to  do  so,  the  Indians  set  out  to  exterminate 
all  the  whites  but  one.     Leaping  into  their  canoes  some 


CAPE  HORN'  ABORIGINES.  75 

of  the  Indians  would  paddle  out  to  cut  off  retreat  toward 
the  sea,  and  when  they  were  in  place,  the  rest  would 
rush  down  on  the  seamen,  and  if  possible  save  all  alive 
for  the  time  being.  Then  all  the  clan  gathered  about 
the  captives  and  selected  one  of  the  whites — saved  him 
alive,  but  forced  him  to  witness  the  dying  struggles  of 
the  rest.  Very  often  those  doomed  to  death  were  made 
to  stand  in  a  row  facing  the  one  that  was  saved,  that  he 
might  the  better  witness  their  despairing  faces  and  see 
the  blood  gush  from  their  wounds.  Eventually  the  one 
who  was  saved  was  taken  to  the  Straits  of  Magellan,  and 
there  placed  on  board  the  first  ship  that  appeared.  It 
was  perfectly  plain  that  a  man  from  each  crew  was  thus 
sent  back  to  the  whites  that  he  might  tell  other  whites  of 
the  fate  that  befell  all  foreigners  who  landed  in  Yahgan 
land.  They  wanted  the  whites  to  keep  away  from  them, 
and  they  took  a  most  effectual  means  to  keep  them  away. 
With  certain  death  staring  in  the  face,  any  crew  that  was 
outnumbered  by  the  natives,  even  the  sealers,  took  care 
to  avoid  going  among  the  Yahgans.  The  Yahgan's  de- 
liberate ferocity — ferocity  that  was  exercised  with  a  pur- 
pose— was  the  sufficient  protection  of  the  Yahgan 
maidens. 

As  has  been  said,  the  Yahgans  had  an  abundance  of 
food  in  the  old  days.  The  cold  waters  about  Cape  Horn 
swarmed  with  whales.  So  numerous  were  the  fur  seals 
that  one  sealing  schooner  got  a  "  first  knock  down  "  on 
one  island  of  11,000  head.  The  hair  seal,  the  otter,  and 
the  sea  lion  were  found  by  the  thousand.  Swans,  geese, 
ducks,  penguins,  gulls,  beat  the  air  and  ploughed  the 
waters  in  uncounted  hosts.  There  were  fish  in  the  sea 
and  guanacos  on  the  land.  For  a  vegetable  food  there 
was  "  a  bright  yellow  fungus,"  "elastic  and  turgid,"  that 


7^  THE   GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORN. 

had  "  a  mucillaginous,  slightly  sweet  taste,  with  a  faint 
smell  like  that  of  a  mushroom."  There  were  wild  cur- 
rants and  strawberries  that  tasted  more  like  a  raspberry 
than  like  its  northern  namesake.  There  Avas  a  berry  that 
grew  on  a  thorny  bush  (berberis).  But  the  mainstay  of 
the  Yahgan  was  the  shell-fish.  Mussels  and  clams  covered 
every  rock  under  water,  and  these  were  alone  sufficient 
in  number  and  in  food  qualities  to  preserve  life  for  long 
periods. 

The  explorers  say  the  Yahgans  ate  guanaco  meat  raw. 
The  Rev.  Thomas  Bridges  denies  this.  He  says,  in  a 
lecture  on  the  Yahgans,  prepared  for  delivery  before 
white  folks  : 

They  toasted  whale  or  seal  blubber  on  pointed  sticks  stuck  in  the 
ground,  and  caught  the  oil  in  large  mussel  shells  placed  underneath. 
As  these  filled  they  poured  the  oil  into  bladders  for  future  use.  They 
tried  out  fish  fat  by  putting  it  in  large  shells  and  placing  heated  stones 
or  shells  on  it.  They  cooked  large  birds  whole  by  burying  them  in 
the  coals  with  hot  stones  placed  inside.  They  baked  eggs  by  placing 
them,  after  a  small  hole  had  been  made  in  each  shell,  on  end  close  to 
the  embers  and  turning  them  from  time  to  time.  They  uniformly  ate 
the  blood  of  animals,  but  always  cooked  it  in  shells  first.  I  have 
never  seen  or  heard  of  the  Yahgans  eating  any  kind  of  meat  or  fish 
raw  except  certain  kinds  of  limpets.  I  have  occasionally  heard  of 
their  heating  water  by  dropping  hot  stones  into  it,  but  they  did  not 
cook  their  vegetable  food.  In  winter,  however,  they  warmed  the 
frozen  fungi  that  formed  a  part  of  their  diet. 

A  thousand  other  interesting  facts  and  characteristics 
of  this  long-despised  tribe  remain  untold  here. 

There  was  their  habit  of  carrying  dry  bird's  down 
to  catch  the  spark  when  they  struck  fire  with  the  iron  ore 
they  found  on  one  island  only. 

They   had  a  tradition  that  in  by-gone  years  a  great 


CAPE  HORN  ABORIGINES.  77 

flood  raised  the  waters  to  the  level  of  certain  lines  on  the 
mountains,  to  which  they  point  the  traveller. 

They  were  sensitive  about  growing  old,  and  it  was  be- 
cause their  beard  grew  late  in  life  and  so  indicated  ad- 
vancing years  that  the  men  plucked  it  out. 

They  were  a  long-lived  race,  and  some  probably  lived 
to  be  a  hundred  in  the  old  days. 

They  were  not  cannibals,  but  held  human  life  as 
sacred  as  civilized  people  do.  It  is  admitted  that  in  times 
of  dire  distress,  through  prolonged  storms,  they  sacrificed 
one  (an  old  woman)  to  save  the  rest,  but  if  that  made 
them  cannibals  then  an  American  army  officer  held  in 
high  esteem  is  a  cannibal. 

When  food  was  scarce  those  who  got  it  divided  all 
they  had  with  those  less  fortunate,  and  while  hunting 
away  from  the  huts  the  men  subsisted  on  the  inferior 
parts,  that  they  might  carry  the  parts  most  esteemed  to 
the  women  and  children. 

They  did  not  beat  their  wives,  nor  did  they  punish 
iheir  children. 

To  sum  the  matter  up,  this  was  a  race,  more  than  three 
thousand  in  number,  called  the  most  abject  and  wretched 
people  in  the  world,  and  yet,  "  in  their  circumstances  and 
with  their  materials,  their  work  was  perfect."  They 
were  called  savages,  and  yet  neither  governor  nor  judge 
v.-as  needed  to  preserve  the  prosperity  of  the  nation. 
They  were  called  heathen,  because  they  knew  not  God  ; 
and  yet,  prompted  by  an  inner  light,  they  took  no  thought 
for  the  morrow,  they  visited  the  widow  and  the  orphan 
in  their  affliction  ;  neither  was  there  any  among  them 
that  lacked.  Clear-eyed  and  strong-limbed,  they  were 
able,  twenty  years  ago,  to  face  the  white  destroyer  as  they 
faced  the  howling  gales  that  swept  their  rugged  coasts. 


78 


THE   GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORN. 


To-da)'  the  traveller  can  find,  though  he  search  dili- 
gently, rather  less  than  three  hundred,  but  to  one  who 
knew  them  in  the  old  days  those  seen  anywhere  now, 
save  on  Hermite  Island,  would  not  be  recognizable. 
The  Rev.  John  Lawrence  told  me  that  they  were 
civilized,  but  to  one  who  can  understand  and  appreciate 
the  aborigines  as  God  made  them,  this  change,  instead 
of  being  a  matter  of  congratulation,  is  one  that  should 
make  every  white  man  connected  with  it  hide  his  head 
in  shame,  and  every  other  one  who  sees  it  shed  tears  of 
pity. 


CHAPTER  IV. 


A    CAPE    HORN    MISSION, 


T^HE  reader  who  has  at  hand  a  good  modern  map  of 
*  South  America  will  find,  on  looking  along  the 
narrow  channel  that  bounds  the  south  side  of  Tierra 
del  Fuego,  a  tiny  settlement  named  Ushuaia.  On  some 
maps  the  settlement  is  located  on  Navarin  Island,  south 
of  the  channel,  but  the  proper  place  for  it  is  on  a  small 
bay  that  indents  Tierra  del  Fuego,  just  east  of  the  line 
between  Chili  and  Argentine  territory.  The  settlement 
is,  in  fact,  an  Argentine  capital,  the  seat  of  the  Govern- 
ment of  the  Argentine  belongings  lying  south  of  the 
Straits  of  Magellan.  Ushuaia,  as  a  white  man's  capital, 
will  be  described  at  another  time.  In  its  earliest  days 
the  settlement  was  a  missionary  station,  containing  only 
a  single  log  hut,  the  home  of  the  first  Christian  who  suc- 
ceeded in  gaining  a  foothold  among  the  Indians  of  the 
Cape  Horn  region,  and  it  is  my  purpose  here  to  tell,  as 
briefly  as  possible,  the  true  story  of  this  Cape  Horn 
mission. 

Something  has  already  been  told  about  the  character- 
istics of  the  remarkable  people,  the  Yahgans,  who  were 
indigenous    to    the   region — of    their    apparent    squalid 

79 


80  THE    GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORN. 

wretchedness  when,  in  fact,  they  were  actually  comfort- 
able and  living  in  the  enjoyment  of  some  of  the  highest 
pleasures  known  to  civilized  peoples.  It  is,  therefore, 
necessary  for  the  reader  to  shut  out  from  his  mind  about 
all  the  real  facts  concerning  them,  and  think  only  of 
what  they  seemed  to  be  if  he  would  fully  appreciate  the 
spirit  and  intent  of  the  founders  of  the  mission  to  the 
Yahgans.  It  must  be  remembered  that  the  region  was 
supposed  to  be  bleak  and  desolate,  that  frightful  storms 
followed  each  other  in  swift  succession,  that  the  cold  was 
often  intense  in  midsummer,  and  that  in  the  midst  of 
these  terrors  of  nature  lived  a  tribe  of  savages  so  low  in 
the  human  scale  that  they  did  not  know  enough  to  build 
houses  to  shelter  them,  or  even  to  sew  skins  together  into 
a  decent  blanket  for  a  covering. 

People  who  had  read  the  journals  of  the  explorers  of 
the  region  shuddered  at  the  thought  of  the  life  of  misery 
which  the  natives  there  were  said  to  endure.  Indeed,  so 
dark  was  the  picture  of  human  life  there,  that,  although 
men  had  been  found  to  brave  death  at  the  stake  in  the 
valley  of  the  Mohawk,  none  so  much  as  suggested  in  the 
early  days  a  mission  to  the  Yahgans,  save  only  as  Sar- 
miento's  ill-fated  colony  hoped  to  convert  the  heathen 
as  well  as  hold  the  Straits  of  Magellan  for  the  crown  of 
Spain.  Nevertheless,  a  time  came  when  the  very  terrors 
of  nature  and  the  apparent  degradation  of  the  people 
there  were  the  magnets  to  draw  one  man  to  them.  This 
man  came  from  a  race  and  a  profession  '*  to  whom  an 
appeal  for  volunteers  for  a  forlorn  hope  was  never  made 
in  vain."  The  first  missionary  to  the  Fuegian  Indians 
came  from  the  British  Navy. 

Captain  Allen  Francis  Gardiner,  R.N.,  was  born  on 
June  28,  1794,  at  Basilden,  Berks,  England,     He  entered 


A    CAPE  HORN-  MI  SSI  01^.  8 1 

the  Royal  Navy  in  June,  1810,  and  was  rapidly  pro- 
moted until  he  attained  the  rank  of  captain.  He  was 
from  his  youth  an  ardent  Christian — so  ardent,  indeed, 
that  he  determined  to  devote  his  life  to  mission  work, 
and  only  remained  in  the  navy  because  he  wished  to 
learn  what  people  of  the  earth  was  most  neglected  and 
forlorn — most  in  need  of  the  Christian  religion.  Having 
caught  a  few  glimpses  of  the  Yahgans  and  their  people, 
and  having  read  the  stories  about  them  which  Captain 
Fitzroy  and  Naturalist  Darwin,  with  many  others,  wrote. 
Captain  Gardiner  naturally  concluded  that  the  Cape 
Horn  archipelago  was  his  field.  Accordingly,  he  began 
work  by  organizing,  in  18 14,  a  mission  society,  after 
which  he  made  an  attempt  to  live  in  his  chosen  field. 

"  He  and  several  devoted  companions  were  landed  on 
one  of  the  small  islands  with  a  tent,  materials  for  a 
wooden  house,  and  stores  and  provisions  to  last  six 
months,"  says  the  record.  "  But  in  a  very  few  days  the 
conduct  of  the  natives  showed  the  missionaries  that  to 
remain  on  land  was  impossible.  Mercifully  the  vessel 
which  had  brought  them  was  still  within  hail,"  and  they 
were  taken  off  and  borne  to  England. 

The  trouble  with  the  Indians,  it  appears,  was  that 
they  looked  with  covetous  eyes "  on  the  outfit  of  the 
missionaries.  The  record  says  they  were  robbers,  but 
it  now  appears  that  this  term  is  much  too  harsh.  They 
did,  indeed,  strive  to  take  valuables  from  the  missionaries 
without  making  any  return  whatever  for  them,  but  it 
must  not  be  forgotten  that  the  Yahgans  held  practically 
all  property  in  common.  They  naturally  resented  what 
seemed  to  them  to  be  the  selfishness  of  these  white  in- 
truders just  as  they  ostracized  one  of  their  own  tribe  who 
did  anything  contrary  to  Yahgan  custom. 


82  THE    GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORH. 

Finding,  as  he  supposed,  his  Hfe  in  danger  when  he 
tried  to  make  a  home  among  the  Yahgans,  Captain  Gar- 
diner returned  home  to  try  to  raise  money  for  a  ship 
in  which  he  could  live  in  a  Yahgan  harbor.  He  believed 
he  could  repel  any  Yahgan  boarders  that  might  attack 
him,  and  eventually  make  friends  with  the  repulsed. 
But  he  failed  to  get  the  money,  because  the  English 
were  skeptical  as  to  the  success  of  even  a  mission  ship. 

Thereat  the  determined  captain  bought  instead  two 
launches  twenty-six  feet  long  and  decked  them  over. 
The  sum  of  ^looo  was  deemed  necessary  for  this  en- 
terprise, of  which  "  a  generous  Christian  lady  of  Chel- 
tenham gave  ;^7oo."     Gardiner  himself  gave  ^300. 

"  Captain  Gardiner,  with  three  Cornish  sailors.  Chris- 
tian men  accustomed  to  stormy  seas,"  "  the  ship 
carpenter  who  had  gone  with  Captain  Gardiner  be- 
fore," "  two  men  as  catechists,  Mr.  Maidment,  and  Mr. 
Richard  Williams,  the  latter  a  surgeon  in  good  prac- 
tice,"— these  seven  sailed  from  Liverpool  on  September 
7,  1850,  in  the  ship  Oceati  Queen,  which  was  bound  to 
the  booming  town  of  San  Francisco,  but  agreed  to  land 
them  and  their  outfit  inTierradel  Fuego.  They  carried 
stores  for  six  months,  and  arranged  for  more  to  come 
before  these  should  be  exhausted.  On  December  5th 
their  ship  anchored  in  a  bay  called  Banner  Cove,  in  the 
west  end  of  Picton  Island.  The  missionaries  landed, 
and  then  natives  came.  Fearing  violence  the  mission- 
aries took  refuge  on  the  Ocean  Queen  for  a  few  days,  and 
then,  on  December  i8th,  landed  again,  built  a  wigwam 
near  the  beach,  moored  their  boats  handy  by,  and  let 
the  big  ship  sail  away. 

Then  came  what  the  record  calls  "  a  terrible  discov- 
ery."    In  taking  their  outfit  from  the  Ocean  Queen  the 


A    CAPE  HORN  MISSION.  83 

missionaries  had  left  on  board  about  all  the  powder  and 
lead  with  which  to  kill  the  Indians.  "  They  were  now 
alike  without  the  means  of  self-defence  and  of  obtaining 
food,"  is  the  way  the  story  of  Captain  Gardiner's  life 
puts  it,  but  the  plain  English  of  the  matter  is  that  they 
had  come  relying  on  guns  to  protect  them.  They  meant 
to  shoot  the  Indians  under  certain  circumstances.  Their 
motto  was,  so  to  speak  :  **  Trust  in  God,  but  keep  your 
powder  dry."  Now,  however,  they  had  no  powder  and 
"  they  were  left  almost  wholly  dependent  on  meal,  rice, 
and  such  things." 

Thereafter  they  **  went  beating  about  among  the 
islands,  alarmed  by  every  indication  of  the  people  for 
whose  sake  all  this  misery  was  encountered."  In  a  diary, 
written  by  one  of  the  party,  one  may  read  that  "  I  applied 
the  golden  key  to  heaven's  treasury,  and  with  it  opened 
the  storehouse  of  God's  exceeding  great  and  precious 
promises.  What  I  saw  and  felt  of  Christ's  love  no  tongue 
can  tell,"  but  their  faith  in  Divine  protection  v/as  not 
strong  enough  to  make  them  risk  a  visit  to  the  Indians, 
and  so,  at  last,  they  actually  died  of  starvation,  although 
the  region  produced  and  produces  a  prodigious  supply 
of  mussels  and  limpets,  wild  celery  and  other  edible 
vegetables,  not  to  mention  fish  and  mammals  easily 
snared  by  one  not  afraid  to  venture  away  from  his  boat. 

"  It  does  seem  remarkable  that  Gardiner  should  have 
apparently  erred  from  timidity  and  over-caution,"  says 
the  writer  of  the  life  of  that  missionary,  and  then  he 
piously  adds  :  "  We  must  look  to  the  will  of  God  in  the 
whole  affair." 

The  death  of  Gardiner  through  his  own  cowardice,  to 
put  the  matter  bluntly,  is  only  one — the  first  of  a  long 
list  of  doings  that  "  seem  remarkable  "  in  this  story. 


84  THE    GOLD  DIGGINGS   OF  CAPE  HORN. 

The  Gardiner  party  sailed  from  Liverpool  on  Septem- 
ber 7,  1850.  The  last  entry  in  the  diary  of  Captain 
Gardiner  is  dated  September  5,  1S51,  while  a  letter  was 
found  dated  the  day  following.  Gardiner,  who  was  the 
last  survivor,  probably  died  one  year  from  the  time  he 
sailed.  In  October  came  the  relief  ship  to  the  port  in 
Picton  Island.  An  inscription  on  a  rock  which  the 
traveller  can  still  see  there  was  found.  It  was  as 
follows  : 

Dig  Below. 

Go  to  Spaniard 

Harbour 

March 

1851 

Spaniard  Harbor  is  now  called  Aguirre  Bay.  A  gale 
of  wind  prevented  the  relief  ship  going  there,  but  Her 
Majesty's  ship  Dido  was  sent  out,  and  she  recovered  the 
papers  of  the  dead  missionaries  and  buried  the  human 
bones.  Her  colors  were  lowered  and  three  volleys  were 
fired  by  the  marines  after  the  funeral,  because  Gardiner 
had  been  a  naval  captain  ;  and  all  this,  having  been  well 
told,  together  with  the  stories  found  in  the  diaries,  made 
a  sensation  in  England. 

To  one  who  knows  the  region,  the  appeals  thereafter 
made  by  the  missionary  society  to  the  English-speaking 
v/orld  seem  very  remarkable.  Though  I  do  not  doubt 
the  honest  intentions  of  the  society  people,  some  of  their 
words  would  seem  to  be  deliberate  attempts  to  deceive, 
if  coming  from  any  other  kind  of  society.  Thus  in  A 
Memoir  of  Richard  Williams,  by  James  Hamilton,  D.D., 
is  an  appeal  for  funds  for  the  society,  which  (p.  255) 
says  : 


A    CAPE  HORN  MISSION.  %^ 

This  agency  may  soon  stud  with  gardens  and  farms  and  industri- 
ous villages  these  inhospitable  shores.  The  mariner  may  run  his 
battered  ship  into  Lennox  Harbour  and  leave  her  to  the  care  of 
Fuegian  caulkers  and  carpenters ;  and  after  rambling  through  the 
streets  of  a  thriving  seaport  town,  he  may  turn  aside  to  read  the 
papers  in  the  Gardiner  Institution,  or  may  step  into  the  week-evening 
service  in  the  Richard  Williams  chapel. 

Following  the  advice  contained  in  papers  which  Cap- 
tain Gardner  left,  and  taking  advantage  of  the  emotions 
raised  among  church  people  by  the  story  of  the  Captain's 
death,  the  society  raised  funds  with  which  they  built  and 
manned  a  schooner  fit  for  the  stormiest  sea,  and  sent  it 
out  to  establish  a  station  for  the  conversion  of  the  Yah- 
gans.  She  was  commanded  by  Captain  W.  Parker  Snow, 
and  she  carried  Mr.  Garland  Phillips,  as  catechist,  to 
Keppel  Island,  one  of  the  Falklands  then  uninhabited. 
They  arrived  out  on  January  28,  1855,  and  found  the 
island  about  eight  miles  long  and  four  wide,  with  three 
fresh  water  lakes.  It  was  "  a  barren,  desolate  place," 
Phillips  thought,  and  according  to  the  record  he  and  his 
associates  lived  there  for  more  than  two  years  before 
they  got  a  single  Yahgan  to  come    to  live  with  them. 

Eventually  "  a  strong  party  "  was  sent  out  from  Eng- 
land to  re-enforce  Phillips  and  "  push  the  work  vigor- 
ously." This  party  included  "  Tom  Bridges,  a  good- 
looking,  affectionate  boy  of  fourteen,  who  loved  every- 
body, and  whom  everybody  loved,"  and  this  is  the 
earliest  mention  of  one  who  has  since  made  himself  the 
most  noted  of  all  who  have  worked  in  the  mission. 
Thereafter  matters  went  on  better,  because  the  "  strong 
party  "  made  a  right  good  sheep  ranch  of  Keppel  Island, 
and  in  1857  got  the  Yahgan  named  Button,  his  wife,  and 
his  children  to  go  to  Keppel. 


86  THE   GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORN. 

With  Button  as  interpreter,  Phillips  and  some  others 
went  over  to  Navarin  Island  in  November,  1858,  and 
built  a  log-house  there,  in  which  they  remained  a  month 
with  the  natives  about  them,  returning  the  first  of  1859 
with  nine  natives,  whom  they  proposed  instructing  on 
the  ranch  at  Keppel  Island.  These  instructions  con- 
tinued until  the  following  October,  when  Phillips  took 
them  back  in  his  schooner,  which  was  manned  by  a  cap- 
tain, a  mate,  four  seamen,  a  carpenter,  and  a  cook,  all 
"  decidedly  good  men."  On  the  way  over  (it  was  a  voy- 
age of  six  days),  Phillips  missed  some  valuables,  and 
after  accusing  the  Yahgans  of  stealing,  searched  their 
bundles.  Of  course  the  Yahgans  were  highly  offended, 
but  their  anger  was  apparently  appeased  later,  and  a 
landing  was  affected  on  Navarin  Island  in  peace. 

But  on  the  following  Sunday,  when  all  hands  except 
the  cook  went  ashore  to  hold  church  services,  the  Yah- 
gans arose  and  killed  the  entire  party  that  came  to  them. 
The  cook  escaped  to  the  brush  when  the  natives  came 
after  him,  and  there  remained  until  hunger  drove  him 
out.  The  natives  then  bound  him,  stripped  off  his 
clothes,  but  gave  him  their  own  favorite  article  of 
clothing  instead — a  coat  of  whale  oil,  and  with  no  other 
dress  than  whale  oil  this  cook  lived  in  perfect  health, 
until  he  was  rescued  some  three  months  later  by  a  ship 
that  came  from  the  Falklands  in  search  of  the  schooner. 

This  deadly  assault  on  the  missionaries  is  frequently 
referred  to  in  the  missionary  publications  to  show  how 
fierce  and  degraded  the  Yahgans  were  before  the  mis- 
sionaries got  a  foothold  among  them. 

During  the  three  years  that  followed  only  two  Yahgans, 
a  man  and  his  wife,  lived  on  Keppel  Island,  but  the 
young  English  boy  spoken  of— Tom  Bridges— proved  a 


A    CAPE  HORN  MISSION.  8/ 

natural  linguist,  and  so  rapidly  learned  their  language 
from  the  Yahgans,  that  at  the  end  of  three  years  he  could 
talk  freely  with  them. 

Then  came  a  new  man  into  the  field,  the  Rev.  W.  H. 
Stirling,  who  now  lives  in  Buenos  Ayres,  and  is  the  Bishop 
of  the  Church  of  England  for  South  America.  On  the 
arrival  of  Stirling  "  the  interrupted  work  was  resumed 
with  vigor,"  and  "  forty  or  fifty  Fuegians  were  brought 
at  intervals  "  to  Keppel. 

Of  the  life  led  by  the  Yahgans  and  the  missionaries  on 
Keppel  Island,  the  records  speak  freely,  and  it  is  worth 
while  considering  what  that  life  was,  because  Keppel  was 
the  preparatory  school  of  the  mission. 

It  appears  by  direct  statement  that  the  missionaries 
believed  "  our  hope  for  the  material  improvement  of 
these  natives  lies  in  their  adopting  and  following  farm- 
ing and  agricultural  pursuits  with  fishing."  We  must 
believe  that  the  first  object  that  the  missionaries  had  in 
view  in  taking  the  Yahgans  to  Keppel  was  to  teach  them 
the  Christian  religion,  because  the  missionaries  say  so  ; 
but  it  is  apparent  that  "  material  "  matters  were  never 
lost  sight  of.  The  records  give  the  length  of  time  de- 
voted to  these  "  material  "  matters  every  day,  as  well  as 
that  given  to  mental  and  spiritual  pursuits.  Up  to  1879 
the  natives  had  two  hours  per  day  for  instructions,  but 
in  October  of  that  year  the  school  hours  were  increased 
to  three  per  day.  The  rest  of  the  day  was  devoted  to 
work  on  the  sheep  ranch  and  to  the  garden  where  the 
missionaries  raised  vegetables.  But  not  all  of  the  Yahgans 
there  received  even  two  hours'  instruction  per  day,  for  a 
missionary  who  sent  two  to  Keppel  from  Wollaston 
Island  wrote  regarding  them,  that  they  "will,  I  have 
no  doubt,  make  very  good  men  on  the  farm,  but  I  do 


55  THE   GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORN. 

not  think  they  will  do  anything  at  school."  And  the 
farmer  reports  :  "  I  could  send  more  lads  to  the  day- 
school,  but  they  are  not  the  material  Mr.  Grubb  re- 
quires."    Mr.   Grubb  was  the  school  teacher. 

This  teacher,  W.  Balbrooke  Grubb,  sums  up  his  work 
in  these  words  :  "  Moral  training  and  example  and  the 
expounding  of  the  Gospel,  all  who  knew  these  natives 
will  admit,  has  \sic\  worked  a  great  change  upon  them. 
Glorious  conversions  or  wordy  confessions  I  have  not  to 
report." 

That  Yahgan  life  was  not  all  work  and  study  on  Kep- 
pel,  however,  appears  from  the  report  of  the  celebration 
of  the  birthday  of  one  of  Farmer  Bartlett's  children. 
"  After  tea  we  had  several  games,  among  which  was  the 
avenging  the  death  of  a  murdered  man  by  the  Indians, 
and  an  Indian  dance,  which  is  a  strange  affair."  Imag- 
ine the  vendetta  as  an  entertainment  in  the  course  of  a 
revival  in  the  United  States  ! 

But  the  worst  is  yet  to  be  told  about  the  treatment 
of  these  Yahgan  boys  on  the  Keppel  Island  farm,  and 
lest  some  one  think  I  am  exaggerating,  I  give  the  words 
of  the  report  of  one  of  the  missionaries  : 

"As  I  observed  much  carelessness  and  untidiness  in  the  dress  of 
the  boys,  I  set  aside  a  portion  of  one  day  in  the  week  in  which,  under 
my  supervision,  they  were  encouraged  to  mend  and  repair  their  cloth- 
ing." To  this  Mr.  R.  Whaits,  the  mission  carpenter,  adds  that 
'  they  are  badly  clothed  ;  boots  they  have  none,  nor  blankets  to 
cover  them." 

The  unfortunate  natives  were  not  only  made  to  toil  at 
unaccustomed  work  the  whole  day  through,  but  they 
had  to  do  it  unrewarded.  They  did  not  get  even  decent 
clothing  in  return. 


A    CAPE  HORN  MISSION.  89 

I  have  given  a  good  deal  of  space  to  this  school,  but 
it  is  because  I  suppose  there  are  other  mission  schools  in 
the  world  conducted  in  the  same  fashion,  and  the  people 
who  contribute  money  to  missionary  societies  ought  to 
know  about  these  matters. 

Having  described  the  school  in  which  sundry  Yahgans 
were  civilized,  and  "  Tom  Bridges,  a  good-looking,  affec- 
tionate boy,"  was  prepared  for  the  missionary  service, 
we  come  to  the  establishing  of  the  missionary  station  in 
the  Yahgan  territory  and  the  results  of  that  work. 

Until  1869  nothing  was  done  beyond  instructing  the 
natives  who  could  be  induced  to  go  to  Keppel  and  learn- 
ing from  them  their  language.  But  in  January  of  that 
year  Mr.  Stirling  determined  to  take  up  his  residence 
among  the  Yahgans.  His  reasons  for  this  are  important, 
and  are  as  follows  : 

My  motive  for  living  ashore  is  to  exercise  a  direct  and  constant 
influence  over  the  natives  ;  to  show  my  confidence  in  them  ;  to  ^xi- 
co\>LXZ.^t  a  more  general  and  regular  disposition  in  tJietn  to  adopt  our 
ivays  and  to  listen  to  our  instructions,  and  to  get  the  children  within 
the  zone  of  Christian  example  and  teaching. 

Accordingly,  he  built  on  the  shores  of  what  is  now 
called  Ushuaia  Bay,  near  the  present  capital  of  Argen- 
tine Tierra  del  Fuego,  a  log-hut  that  was  20x10  feet 
large  and  had  walls  seven  feet  high.  Here  he  lived  for 
seven  months.  One  of  four  boys  who  had  been  in  Eng- 
land, and  was  subsequently  continued  in  his  educational 
career  by  being  enlisted  as  cabin-boy  of  the  mission 
schooner  Allen  Gardiner,  became  the  housekeeper  of  the 
log-house,  and  was  assisted  in  the  work  by  another  Yah- 
gan boy.  How  the  days  were  passed  and  the  natives  in- 
structed is  told  clearly  in  the  missionary's  diary  ; 


90  THE   GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORN. 

Wednesday,  27th  (January)-^Our  days  are  devoted  to  work.  In 
the  morning,  before  breakfast,  prayer  and  catechising.  In  the  even- 
ing, ditto  ;  and  what  with  putting  the  house  and  its  surroundings  in 
order,  making  and  fencing  gardens,  superintending  wood-cutting  and 
charcoal-burning,  I  have  passed  a  curious  busy  kind  of  time. 

After  seven  months  of  the  life  thus  briefly,  but  fully 
described,  Mr.  Stirling  was  called  home  to  England  for 
ordination  as  "  Bishop  of  the  Falkland  Islands." 

That  he  had  lived  unharmed  among  a  tribe  who  ten 
years  before  had  murdered  a  missionary,  is  counted 
among  the  marvels  of  the  story  of  this  mission  ;  and  it 
is  quoted  to  show  that  the  sort  of  training  the  Yahgan 
boys  had  received  at  Keppel  had  tended  to  civilize  them 
so  much  that,  on  their  return  to  their  native  haunts,  they 
had  in  turn  civilized  their  fellows. 

Meantime  the  boy  Tom  Bridges  had  grown  to  be  a 
man  of  twenty-five  years,  and  had  prepared  himself, 
with  the  aid  of  those  who  had  had  charge  at  Keppel,  to 
become  a  missionary  himself.  With  Mr.  Stirling's  ap- 
proval he  went  to  England  while  Stirling  was  founding 
Ushuaia,  and  before  Stirling  reached  England  Bridges 
had  been  ordained  a  catechist,  had  married,  and  had 
sailed  for  Keppel  Island.  With  the  departure  of  the 
Rev.  Mr.  Stirling  for  ordination  as  Bishop,  Ushuaia  was 
left  unoccupied  temporarily,  but  the  vacancy  was  filled 
in  1870  by  Mr.  Bridges  and  his  wife,  who  have  ever  since 
made  their  home  on  the  shores  of  Beagle  Channel,  and 
have  until  recently  taken  the  lead  in  the  mission  work 
done  there. 

Ushuaia  Bay  is  a  rounded  hollow  on  the  north  side  of 
the  narrow  Beagle  Channel.  Lofty,  glacier-covered 
mountains  wall  off  the  sun  on  the  north,  and  on  every 
other  side  the  ranges  are  not  very  far  away.     To  the 


A    CAPE  HORN  MISSION.  9 1 

west,  however,  there  is  an  open  table  land  level  enough 
for  farm  purposes,  and  to  this  came  the  young  missionary 
and  his  wife  to  make  a  home. 

They  were  apparently  displeased  with  the  location 
afterward,  for  we  read  that  "  at  Ushuaia  our  position  is 
exposed,  and  being  about  ninety  feet  above  the  sea  is 
not  favorable  for  procuring  the  best  results.  Many 
spots  might  be  chosen  where,  shelter  and  greater  heat 
being  secured,  the  fruits  of  tillage  would  be  both  larger 
and  more  certain.  But  it  is  vain  for  us  now  to  regret 
our  situation." 

The  log-hut  erected  by  Stirling  remained  intact,  and 
that  was  at  first  their  home  ;  and  straightway  the  work 
bringing  the  Yahgan  Indians  to  Mr.  Bridges's  standard  of 
civilization  and  righteousness  was  begun. 

What  this  standard  was  has  been  put  in  writing,  to- 
gether with  a  plain  statement  of  the  means  employed  in 
raising  the  standard  of  righteousness.     He  says  : 

"  Our  hopes  for  the  material  improvement  of  these  natives  lie  in 
their  adopting  and  following  farming  and  agricultural  pursuits  to- 
gether with  fishing."  And  again:  "Our  daily  endeavor  is  to  bind 
them  with  the  bonds  of  Christ's  love.  To  this  end  we  have  been  of 
late  showing  them  the  authority  of  Christ  as  far  greater  than  that  of 
Moses." 

A  tribe  of  Indians  that  lived  naked  in  a  climate  where 
snow-storms  raged  in  every  month  of  the  year — lived 
happily  and  comfortably,  too — even  in  perfect  health  on 
the  spontaneous  productions  of  the  region,  was  to  be 
transformed  into  a  community  of  farmers  there  and  then. 
A  people  who  had  in  all  their  wonderful  language  of 
40,000  words  no  term  or  idea  of  either  God  or  a  future 
existence  ;  who  never  gave  an  order,  and  who  had  no 
such  word  or  idea  as  to  obey,  were  to  be  converted  to 


92  THE   GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORM. 

Christianity  by  sermons  "  showing  them  the  authority  of 
Christ  as  far  greater  than  that  of  Moses  !  " 

That  the  missionaries  entered  upon  this  tremendous 
task  with  a  cahn  assurance  that  they  could  not  be  in 
error  as  to  what  the  Indians  needed,  is  perfectly  plain  to 
all  who  peruse  the  record  ;  and  in  that  assurance  they 
never  faltered.  They  were  as  earnestly  determined  to 
create  civilized  villages  and  farming  communities — that 
is  to  say  on  an  English  model — as  they  were  to  tell  the 
story  of  the  Christ. 

The  first  "  material  improvement "  work  done  was, 
naturally  enough,  the  making  of  a  comfortable  home, 
with  outbuildings  and  a  big  garden  attached,  for  the  use 
of  the  missionaries.  Mr.  Bridges  reasoned  that  an  ob- 
ject lesson  in  home  comforts  would  impress  on  these 
wild  people  the  advantages  of  civilization  more  forcibly 
than  words  could  do  ;  and  the  work  to  which  Mr.  Bridges 
devoted  the  most  time  was  that  of  impressing  on  them 
the  advantages  of  civilization — i.e.,  making  them  like 
white  men.  He  had  little  faith  in  the  notions  of  those 
missionaries  who  at  various  times  have  believed  they 
could  best  reach  the  heathen  heart  by  living  with  the 
heathen,  suffering  their  hardships,  learning  to  under- 
stand their  joys,  and  so  on.  Mr.  Bridges  would  not  do 
that.  Besides,  in  making  gardens,  building  fences  and 
houses,  and  caring  for  cattle  and  sheep,  Mr.  Bridges,  by 
employing  the  Indians,  was  enabled  to  teach  them  the 
white  man's  arts  and  to  encourage  what  he  called  "  hab- 
its of  industry." 

He  assumed  that  when  employed  as  laborers  raising 
turnips  on  a  Tierra  del  Fuego  farm,  or  in  the  saw-pit 
splitting  logs  into  boards  with  a  hand-saw,  they  would  be 
very  much  happier  than  they  had  ever  been  while  roam- 


m  % 


A    CAPE  HORN  MISSION:  93 

ing  at  will  about  those  seas  and  inlets  in  search  of  seals, 
birds,  and  fish,  or  when  sitting  beside  a  roaring  camp- 
fire  inventing  and  telling  stories.  It  was,  therefore,  with 
a  merry  heart  that  Mr.  Bridges,  and  those,  too,  who 
were  sent  to  aid  him,  saw  the  Indians  take  up  the  axe 
to  chop,  the  spade  to  dig  in  the  garden,  the  saw  to  split 
the  logs  for  lumber. 

But  just  how  the  natives  were  handled  and  the  kind 
of  life  they  led  about  the  station  can  be  most  convinc- 
ingly told  by  a  few  extracts  from  the  record,  which  are 
in  all  cases  verbatim,  save  that  I  have  italicized  many 
words  in  order,  as  the  missionaries  might  say,  to  bring 
home  the  lesson  of  the  hour  more  forcibly. 

In  a  letter  describing  to  the  people  of  England  the 
work  at  Ushuaia  after  it  was  well  under  way  (five  years 
after  the  station  was  founded),  we  get  not  only  Mr. 
Bridges's  ideas  about  handling  workmen,  but  also  his  way 
of  composing  a  delicate  family  difficulty  and  a  definite 
statement  of  the  price  he  paid  one  laborer  for  two  weeks' 
work.     He  says  : 

We  need  in  no  way  be  ashamed  of  the  earthly  parts  of  our  duties 
here,  and  I  hesitate  not  to  set  it  plainly  before  you.  The  society  has 
now  three  and  a  half  acres  of  garden  land  in  crop,  chiefly  with  tur- 
nips (Swedish),  most  of  which  will  be  used  by  the  natives  in  meat 
stews,  thickened  with  flour,  beans,  or  other  farinaceous  food.  Be- 
sides, much  work  has  been  done  to  the  road  in  carr}'ing  down  the 
embankment,  and  we  hope  to  have  it  available  for  our  cart  in  a  few 
weeks  by  diligent  labor,  A  large  quantity  of  wood  has  also  been 
cut  and  brought  down  to  the  beach  ready  for  shipment.  Mr.  \Vhaits 
has  commenced  sawing  out  boards  from  native  wood  with  great  suc- 
cess. We  have  had  for  weeks  over  thirty  men  employed.  The  na- 
tives have  also  considerably  added  to  their  own  lands  under  crop  this 
year,  and  have  foitr  acres  in  crop. 

Peace,  with  a  few  and  unimportant  breaks,  has  reigned.     I  must 


94  THE  GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CA-PE  HORN. 

relate  a  few  instances  of  its  interruption  :  Some  nine  or  ten  men  were 
at  work  on  tlie  road.  Stephen  I-ucia  was  in  charge,  and  a  few  were 
vexed  that  he  was  not  silent  when  they  were  idle.  Angry,  vengeful 
words  were  spoken,  and  Stephen,  in  great  turmoil  of  spirit,  came  to 
me  and  asked  to  be  employed  elsewhere,  saying  that  he  could  no 
longer  work  with  the  men  with  the  cart.  I  set  him  to  other  work, 
and  I  went  down  to  the  men  and  reproved  the  guilty  ones  for  violent 
language  and  threatening  intimidations.  Stephen,  knowing  that  I 
would  speak  to  them,  came  down,  and  some  angry  altercation  took 
place.  Yet,  after  some  talking  over  the  matter,  peace  was  restored, 
and  those  who  were  angry  shook  hands  at  my  suggestion,  and  real 
good-will  has  existed  among  them  since. 

Another  occasion  was  in  connection  with  a  young  Eastern  called 
Hidugalahgoon.  He  came  here  with  a  wife  that  had  been  the  wife 
of  a  man  who  had  been  very  violent  to  her.  The  young  fellow 
seemed  very  fond  of  her  and  she  of  him.  He  had  friends  here  whom 
he  was  diligent  to  move  in  his  favor  by  descanting  on  the  cruelties 
of  the  other  man.  He  was  for  several  weeks  employed,  and  regu- 
larly came  to  our  meetings  for  worship  and  instruction.  As  payment 
he  received  a  sufficiency  of  food  and  a  shirt. 

As  to  the  row  that  the  real  or  original  husband  of  the 
woman  raised  when  he  came  on  and  found  that  she 
would  stay  with  her  lover,  Mr.  Bridges  says  : 

Being  consulted  by  Hidugalahgoon,  I  advised  that  he  should,  un- 
der the  circumstances,  give  what  he  could  to  restore  peace.  No 
doubt  he  has  been  a  very  guilty  party  in  the  matter,  and  I  told  him 
to  give  up  his  shirt  ;  he  might  soon  earn  another. 

That  is,  instead  of  denouncing  Hidugalahgoon  as  an 
adulterer,  this  missionary  advised  him  to  buy  off  the  out- 
raged husband.  The  effect  of  such  teaching  as  this  will 
appear  further  on. 

We  are  not  left  wholly  in  darkness  as  to  the  kind  and 
quantity  of  food  served,  for,  in  speaking  of  the  day's 
routine,  the  record  says  : 


A    CAPE  HORN  MISSION.  95 

The  daily  breakfast  is  a  pound  of  navy  bread  per  man.  The  din- 
ner is  cooked  in  our  yard  under  the  charge  of  Mr.  Lawrence,  who 
has  one  or  two  boys  under  him,  and  tea  likewise.  A  break  is  made 
between  the  morning  and  afternoon  working  time,  a  space  of  four 
and  three  and  a  half  hours,  respectively,  by  a  distribution  of  a  re- 
freshing drink  of  milk  and  water,  slightly  thickened  with  flour  and 
sweetened. 

Although  not  so  stated  here,  the  dinner  was  usually  a 
meat  stew  with  hard-tack.  It  was  served  in  a  quantity- 
sufficient  for  the  workmen  only,  as  one  may  readily  infer 
from  a  description  written  elsewhere  of  the  milk-and- 
water  "  refreshing  drink." 

To  encourage  the  men  to  work,  besides  the  three  meals  daily,  Mr. 
Lawrence  used  to  bring  us  some  milk  and  water,  slightly  sweetened, 
and  a  biscuit  at  ii  A.  M.  and  4  P.  M.  Then  we  would  all  throw  our- 
selves down  and  enjoy  ten  or  fifteen  minutes'  rest  while  we  took  this 
refreshment.  The  little  children  soon  learned  the  course  of  things, 
and  used  generally  to  come  for  a  bit  from  their  fathers  or  brothers. 
They  (the  fathers  or  brothers)  would  have  been  ^/ca^  to  have  eaten  all, 
but  invariably  they  shared. 

Let  the  reader  get  this  matter  well  in  hand.  The 
Yahgans  were  employed  on  road-making,  chopping,  pit- 
sawing  and  other  work  of  the  hardest  kind.  The  white 
man  had  sufficient  influence  over  them  to  keep  a  good 
many  so  employed.  In  return  he  gave  to  the  laborers 
what  he  calls  "  a  sufficiency  of  food,"  but  he  here  dis- 
tinctly admits  that  they  "  would  have  been  glad  to  have 
eaten  all  "  ;  in  other  words,  it  was  a  bare  sufficiency. 
In  addition,  for  "  a  few  weeks'  work,"  he  gave  a  common 
shirt  such  as  the  farm  laborers  of  England  wear. 

The  rule  to  feed  and  clothe  only  those  employed  at 
labor  was  not  rigorously  enforced  at  all  times.  We  read 
at  Christmas  time  of  a  "  distribution  made  to-day  of  the 
half-yearly  gift  of  clothing  to  the  employed  and  such  na- 


96  THE   GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  MoHN. 

tives  as  are  more  particularly  under  our  charge,  and 
to  children  supported  by  friends  at  home  ;  also  general 
distribution  of  old  but  most  acceptable  clothing  sent 
by  kind  friends  in  Stanley  which  was  very  much 
needed."  Then,  "  after  the  morning  service,  we  all  had 
a  happy  time  with  the  natives,  who  were  abundantly  sup- 
plied with  good  stew  and  pudding."  In  a  letter  we  read 
that  "the  half-yearly  distribution  of  clothing  to  the 
baptized  natives  took  place  on  the  28th  of  June."  Of 
course,  this  favoring  of  the  baptized  natives  could 
have  but  one  effect.  If  clothing  could  be  had  by  pro- 
fessing this  new  religion  the  hypocrites  among  the  tribe 
were  pretty  sure  to  see  the  point  and  make  the  profession. 
As  will  appear  further  on,  however,  there  were  not  very 
many  hypocrites  among  the  three  thousand  Yahgans. 

But  that  the  system  of  paying  a  "  sufficiency  of  food  " 
and  a  shirt,  such  as  laborers  wear,  for  two  weeks  of 
labor  did  not  prove  entirely  satisfactory  to  the  Indians, 
save  in  time  of  famine,  may  be  inferred  from  what  is 
written  in  the  same  record  : 

The  men,  when  left  much  to  themselves,  become  very  idle,  and 
rest  a  great  deal  more  than  they  should.  They  say  they  are  tired 
and  sore,  and  you  have  to  be  constantly  at  them  to  do  a  fair  day's 
work.  The  natives  have  been  culpably  idle  at  this  and  all  other  work 
they  do,  and  yet  they  clamor  for  more  pay,  and  even  speak  of  ceas- 
ing to  work  unless  their  pay  is  increased. 

In  fact,  the  missionary  was  quite  incensed  when  he 
found  that  the  heathen  were  not  willing  to  do  the  work 
of  English  farm  laborers  in  return  for  a  "  sufficiency  of 
food  "  and  a  "  semi-annual  distribution  of  clothing." 

If  Mr.  Bridges  had  trouble  in  teaching  the  tribe 
habits  of  industry  as  farm  laborers,  he  was  also  worried 
somewhat  in  his  efforts  to  impress  on  them  the  advantage 


A    CAPE  HORN  MISSION.  07 

of  the  kindred  virtue  of  thrift.  As  wandering  mussel- 
eaters  they  had  no  need  of  thrift,  because  mussels  were 
almost  everywhere  abundant,  and  they  were  lacking  in 
food  only  when  storms  prevented  their  journeying  from 
a  place  which  had  been  eaten  bare  to  one  which  had 
not  been  visited  for  a  time.  As  farmers,  if  they  were  to 
be  farmers,  they  would  need  to  be  thrifty,  especially  so 
in  such  a  climate.  But  here  is  the  record,  which  gives 
at  some  length  not  only  a  picture  of  life  at  the  station, 
but  also  the  missionary's  argument  for  overcoming  their 
ancient  heathen  habit  of  holding  all  things  in  common  : 

The  natives,  very  much  driven  by  hunger,  were  very  importunate 
in  coming  to  him  (the  Rev.  Mr.  Lawrence)  in  order  to  get  something 
to  eat.  They  brought  logs  of  fuel  by  ones  and  twos,  they  brought 
baskets,  spear  heads,  and  spear  shafts,  others  offered  to  work  to  earn 
some  food,  others  came  expressing  their  sad  circumstances  and  sought 
to  excite  pity  in  order  to  get  something  to  eat.  Only  three  men  were 
regularly  employed,  but  four  or  five  women  were  much  employed  in 
making  shirts,  so  that  these  were  envied  by  the  rest,  and  certainly 
were  much  better  off.  During  this  time  a  party  of  natives  arrived 
and  brought  a  good  supply  of  sprats.  As  the  three  above  mentioned 
very  properly  kept  their  food  supplies  for  themselves  and  families, 
to  the  great  grievance  of  their  neighbors,  so  now  these  sprat  owners 
would  not  part  with  any  of  their  sprats  to  them. 

One  of  the  three  expressed  himself  thus  about  this  matter :  ' '  We 
hungry  folks  now  :  all  other  people  plenty  fish,  only  we  poor."  In 
reply  to  these  remarks  he  was  answered,  "  You  ought  not  to  be  sorry, 
but  glad  that  these  poor  people  have  plenty.  Besides,  you  ought  not 
to  be  hungry,  because  you  get  food  for  your  work  every  day,  and 
your  wife  also  gets  food  for  her  sewing,  and  your  son  can  gather 
mussels." 

I  have  quoted  the  record  verbatim  because  it  seems 

important  that  people  in  the  United  States  should  know 

just  how  the  heathen  were  treated  at  this  typical  mission, 

and  have  the  missionary's  statement  of  the  case.     It  is  a 
17 


98  THE   GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORN. 

fact,  incredible  as  it  may  seem,  that  the  missionary  gave 
to  the  heathen,  in  return  for  a  day's  hard  work,  only  so 
much  food  as  that  heathen  himself  needed.  To  the  squaw 
only  as  much  as  she  needed  was  given.  Under  that  sys- 
tem of  pay  an  able-bodied  man  and  an  able-bodied 
woman  could  not  together  earn  even  enough  food  above 
their  own  wants  to  supply  one  child.  "  Your  son  can 
gather  mussels,"  said  the  missionary  when  they  com- 
plained to  him  that,  having  divided  with  their  son,  they 
were  hungry.  It  is  worth  while  to  compare  the  attitude 
of  the  missionary  in  this  matter  with  that  of  the  heathen 
father  and  mother,  who  were  willing  to  go  hungry  in 
order  that  they  might  divide  their  stinted  allowance  of 
food  with  their  child.     But  to  continue  the  quotation  : 

I  have  striven  very  much  to  move  the  people  against  the  prevalent 
habit  of  begging  and  giving,  but  as  yet  v/ith  but  little  seeming  suc- 
cess. When  a  canoe  arrives  many  make  visits  to  the  new-comers  to 
get  a  share  of  any  food  they  may  have  brought.  They  do  not  ask, 
but  wait  till  they  liave  received  some.  Each  woman  looks  upon  what 
supplies  she  gathers  as  her  own.  She  gives  to  whom  she  will,  so  that 
to  the  same  person  a  portion  would  be  given  by  each  of  a  man's  two 
or  three  wives  from  their  separate  possessions.  This  habit  is  very 
hurtful. 

Although  it  is  aside  from  the  object  of  this  story,  one 
cannot  help  noting  here  that  among  the  Yahgans  "  they 
do  not  ask  but  wait,"  and  that  "  each  woman  looks  upon 
what  supplies  she  gathers  as  her  own."  As  a  picture  of 
savage  customs  that  is  interesting. 

It  would  be  instructive  and  interesting,  though  not  to 
say  pleasant,  to  follow  these  extracts  further.  They 
picture  accurately  the  life  led  by  both  missionary  and 
Indian  at  this  station — a  life  encouraged  and  promoted 
by  a  society  in  England  that  had  an  income  of  from 


A    CAPE  HORN  MISSION.  99 

^50,000  to  ;|6o,ooo  a  year,  and  complained  because  it  did 
not  get  more.  Enough,  however,  has  been  quoted  to 
convey  an  accurate  idea  of  what  was  done  there  in 
"  material  "  matters,  and  something  will  now  be  told  to 
portray  the  "  spiritual  "  teachings  and  the  results  thereof. 
The  record  is  full  of  such  things  as  these  : 

Subject  of  this  morning's  teaching,  "Justification  by  faith  in 
Jesus." 

Subjects  of  instruction  :  Faith  in  God  and  its  proper  fruits,  obe- 
dience to  Jlis  will,  love  and  gratitude  for  all  His  goodness,  and 
confidence  and  joy  for  all  His  perfections. 

We  endeavored  to  rouse  the  attention  and  lively  interest  in  the  free 
treasures  of  the  boundless  love  of  God,  of  their  God,  their  Lord, 
their  Saviour,  their  Judge,  their  heaven,  their  hell,  their  own  offered 
mercy  and  good. 

Experienced  the  helping  grace  of  God  in  speaking  to  and  reason- 
ing with  the  people  of  the  truth  of  God,  especially  of  Jesus,  our  re- 
presentative before  God,  who  in  our  stead  has  borne  our  sins,  and 
pleads  His — now  by  faith  our — merits,  on  account  of  which  we  can 
alone  be  loved  by  the  Father.  Spoke  also  of  the  necessity  of  deny- 
ing self  and  sin,  of  the  works  of  the  flesh,  and  the  blessed  fruits  of 
the  Spirit. 

These  extracts  accurately  illustrate  the  character  of 
the  preaching.  The  following  from  the  same  pages  of 
the  record  will,  with  equal  accuracy,  show  what  the 
results  were  : 

We  vary  as  far  as  we  can  in  illustration  by  anecdote  and  applica- 
tion, sxiA  great  effort  is  necessary  to  keep  their  attention. 

We  long  to  see  earnest  love,  to  hear  the  people  inquiring  for 
Christ.  When  asked  whether  they  love  and  wish  to  serve  Jesus,  they 
answer  affinnatively,  but  they  never  volunteer  any  remark  or  ques- 
tions concerning  spiritual  things. 

Visited  Mecugaz  twice.  Spoke  to  him  earnestly  as  to  a  dying  man 
who  as  yet  shows  no  real  faith  or  special  interest  in  Jesus  Christ  as 
his   Saviour  and  Lord.     The  conduct  of  Jemmy  Button,  Admiral 


lOO         THE   GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORN. 

Fitzroy's  protege,  is  ever  bemg  reacted  here.  He  would  not  tell  the 
people  what  he  had  seen,  but  made  capital  of  their  ignorance  and  his 
knowledge  by  keeping  it  to  himself.  He  only  became  the  greater  im- 
postor, and  assumed  a  pompous  conduct  toward  his  fellows,  and  did 
not  a  whit  of  good. 

A  paragraph  will  serve  for  one  other  matter.  There 
came  a  time  when  the  missionaries  wanted  a  steamer  to 
replace  their  old  sailing  vessel,  and  an  appeal  for  the 
money  needed  for  a  steamer  was  made  on  the  ground 
that  the  new  vessel  would  enable  the  missionaries  to 
extend  their  teachings  to  the  other  tribes  of  the  region. 
They  got  their  steamer,  but  when  it  came  their  zeal  to 
preach  to  the  Ona  and  to  the  Alaculoof  had  disap- 
peared. Instead  of  using  their  steamer  to  carry  the 
gospel  to  these  tribes,  they  used  it  to  carry  their  cat- 
tle between  the  farm  on  Keppel  Island  and  the  station 
in  Beagle  Channel. 

However,  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  the  bay  produced 
no  food  supply  worth  mentioning  for  the  natives,  in 
spite  of  a  sterile  soil  and  wretched  location  for  farming, 
in  spite  of  every  drawback,  the  settlement  grew  in  num- 
bers, until,  after  eleven  years,  in  1881,  such  progress  had 
been  made  that  they  had  a  "  Christian  village,  with  cot- 
tages instead  of  wigwams,  and  an  extemporized  church 
in  the  midst,"  six  frame  cottages  which  the  Indians  had 
made  for  themselves  out  of  whip-sawed  lumber.  These 
cottages  were  of  the  ordinary  packing-case  model.  They 
were  divided  within  into  one  large  "  living-room  "  in  the 
middle  with  two  smaller  rooms  on  each  side  of  it.  Two 
families  occupied  each  house,  using  the  middle  room  in 
common. 

Cattle  and  goats  had  been  introduced,  and  the  Indians 
had  purchased  some  with  labor.     More  than  ten  acres 


A    CAPE  HORM  MTSSWJ^.  lOl 

of  ground  were  cultivated.  An  orphanage  had  been 
erected,  and  "  twenty-five  children  are  here  clothed,  fed, 
and  educated    at    the  expense  of  friends  in  England." 

Meantime,  every  Yahgan  at  the  settlement,  and  many 
of  them  elsewhere,  had  learned  to  dress  in  "  civilized 
garments,"  which  they  had  obtained  in  exchange  for 
labor,  or  for  the  furs  they  caught  when  hunting,  and  a 
very  large  proportion  of  them  had  learned  to  "  prefer 
bread  food "  to  any  other.  Meantime  the  baptismal 
register  had  attained  to  a  length  of  137  names,  including 
infants. 

But  the  one  point  of  success  attained,  on  which  the 
missionaries  laid  greatest  stress,  was  the  change  wrought 
in  the  treatment  wrecked  seamen  received  at  the  hands 
of  the  Yahgans. 

"  The  natives  had  formerly  been  set  against  white  men 
by  the  cruel  treatment  which  they  had  met  with  from 
sealing  vessels.  When  vessels  were  seen  the  women  and 
children  were  sent  to  the  woods  for  safety,"  says  the 
missionary  record.  In  return  the  Yahgans  had  slaugh- 
tered every  wrecked  crew  of  seamen  that  fell  into  their 
power,  saving  one  man  in  each  crew,  however,  whom 
they  compelled  to  witness  the  slaughter  of  the  rest,  and 
whom  they  then  took  to  some  steamer  in  the  Strait  of 
Magellan,  that  he  might  go  home  and  warn  his  country- 
men to  keep  away  from  that  region. 

"  It  was  only  by  degrees  that  a  better  state  of  things 
was  brought  about,"  says  the  record  but  in  eleven  years 
it  was  done. 

Naturally,  this  apparent  success  of  the  mission  at- 
tracted the  attention  of  the  Argentine  Government. 
Ushuaia,  "  the  Christian  settlement,"  stood  in  Argentine 
territory,  but  it  was  very  close,  indeed,  to  the  Chili  line. 


102         THE   GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORN. 

Being  jealous  of  Chilian  encroachment,  the  Argentines 
decided  to  establish  a  station  down  on  the  south  coast 
of  Tierra  del  Fuego  to  defend  their  landed  rights.  They 
naturally  chose  this  "  Christian  settlement"  as  the  site 
for  the  station.  That  was  a  great  event  in  the  history 
of  the  mission,  and  the  missionaries  were  all  "  greatly 
pleased  "  with  the  sub-prefect  and  his  staff,  and  troops, 
and  sailors,  and  especially  with  the  fact  that  thereafter 
at  least  monthly  communications  would  be  had  with  the 
civilized  world. 

But  a  marvellous  change  had  been  developing  even 
for  years  without  the  knowledge  of  those  who  had 
brought  it  about.  Something  was  found  to  be  wrong 
with  the  Fuegian  converts.  The  record  begins  to  show 
such  entries  as  these  : 

In  the  orphanage  we  have  one  case  of  fatal  disease.  Excessive 
languor,  without  suffering,  is  his  symptom.  He  is  rapidly  vi'asting 
away. 

We  had  heard  of  two  families  who  had  been  suffering  very  much 
and  asked  to  see  me.  At  the  first  house  we  found  eleven  people  sick, 
and  one  old  woman  who  had  recovered.  They  told  us  three  had 
died,  and  pointed  out  several  others  whom  they  said  would  die, 
among  them  a  little  boy,  who  held  his  arms  out  to  me  and  said  :  "  No, 
no,  I  am  not  going  to  die,  Mr.  Whaits." 

At  the  next  place  we  found  three  women,  a  little  boy,  and  a 
man  trying  to  get  to  a  canoe  to  come  to  Ushuaia.  The  man  told  us 
he  had  buried  four,  but  was  so  weak  he  could  not  bury  the  others 
who  were  in  the  house.  We  found  one  dear  little  fellow  on  his  back, 
not  quite  dead.  He  asked  me  for  water  which  I  gave  him.  He  died 
a  few  minutes  after.  In  the  same  house  we  found  a  man  who  had 
been  dead  two  days,  and  in  his  arms  a  poor  little  boy  not  dead.  When 
I  took  him  away  he  cried  to  go  back  to  his  father.  We  took  him  to 
Ushuaia,  but  he  died  on  the  way. 

We  have  now  lost  forty-three  persons  in  three  weeks  at  Ushuaia. 
How  far  it  has  spread  I  cannot  say. 


A    CAPE  HORN  MISSION.  IO3 

It  has  been  a  pleasure  to  go  amottg  them,  for  in  almost  every  house 
•we  have  heard  the  voice  of  prayer  and  praise  in  the  midst  of  all 
their  sufferings  \sic\. 


It  is  useless  to  continue  these  quotations  or  to  tell  in 
detail  the  pitiful  stories  of  wretchedness,  uncomplaining 
suffering,  and  death  that  had  taken  place  in  this  settle- 
ment, when  the  missionaries  once  got  the  tribe  well  in 
hand.     Let  it,  instead,  be  summed  up  : 

The  race  had  been  **  hardy  and  vigorous."  They  had 
actually  increased  in  numbers  while  living  naked  and 
smeared  with  grease  from  head  to  foot.  But  when  put 
to  work  as  farm  laborers,  and  washed  and  clothed  like 
white  folks,  they  complained  of  being  "  tired "  and 
"  sore,"  and  had  to  be  nagged  into  working  steadily. 
They  had  slept  naked  in  the  freezing  rain,  but  now, 
if  they  sat  down  in  their  shirt  sleeves  while  at  work, 
they  caught  a  cold  that  developed  into  a  fatal  disease. 
Consumption  and  pneumonia  appeared,  and  assumed 
frightful  aspects.  Little  children  that  had  been  round- 
limbed  and  bright-eyed  when  naked  in  a  canoe  were 
wasting  rapidly  away  in  "  excessive  languor,"  though 
dressed  in  woolens  and  living  in  a  warm  house. 

They  continued  to  waste  away  until  every  one  of  the 
twenty-five  children,  "  clothed,  fed,  and  educated  at  the 
expense  of  friends  in  England,"  died,  and  so  did  every 
other  child  in  that  "  Christian  village,"  and  from  that 
day  to  this  not  one  child  in  dozens  born  has  survived  its 
first  year. 

The  frequent  communications  with  the  civilized  world 
had  been  of  advantage  to  the  missionaries,  but  measles, 
grip,  diphtheria — what  not  ? — came  on  the  steamers. 

But  that  is  not  all,  nor,  for  the  tribe,  the  worst  result 


104         THE   GOLD  DIGGINGS   OF  CAPE  HORN. 

of  the  establishing  of  this  mission  in  the  region.  Keep 
in  mind  that  "  the  very  ferocity  of  the  natives  of  Tierra 
del  Fuego  protected  them."  Those  are  the  words  of 
one  of  the  members  of  the  missionary  society,  and  they 
were  true  words.  The  ferocity  of  the  Yahgans  in  their 
native  state  protected  them  from  the  devilish  evils  left 
in  the  wake  of  sailors  who  visit  aborigines  in  any  part  of 
the  world.  The  sailors,  even  the  sealing  sailors,  kept 
well  clear  of  the  Yahgans  so  long  as  this  ferocity  lasted. 

But  the  missionaries  fully,  if  "  only  by  degrees,"  over- 
came this  ferocity  and  made  boast  of  it,  saying  it  was  of 
"  the  greatest  advantage  to  commerce."  They  taught 
the  Yahgans  not  to  kill  white  men.  It  would  have  been 
better  for  the  Yahgans  had  a  man-o'-war  been  sent  there 
to  kill  the  half  of  them  rather  than  that  they  should 
have  learned  that  lesson.  For,  alas,  the  missionaries 
made  very  little,  if  any,  progress  in  overcoming  the 
Yahgan  notion  that  women  might  be  bought  and  sold. 
Indeed,  as  in  the  case  of  Hidugalahgoon  already  men- 
tioned, where  one  man  had  carried  off  another's  squaw, 
the  offender  was  advised  to  settle  the  trouble  by  paying 
for  the  woman. 

The  forecastle  brutes  from  the  Yankee  sealers  or  any 
other  vessels  were  at  last  free  to  go  among  any  Yahgans 
save  the  insignificant  few  at  Ushuaia,  and  to  trade  liquor 
and  tobacco  for  women. 

To  stem  the  tide  of  disaster  a  new  station  was  estab- 
lished at  Tekenika  Bay,  some  fifty  miles  south.  It  was 
in  charge  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Burleigh  and  his  wife  until  he 
was  overturned  in  a  boat  in  the  bay  and  drowned,  when 
two  of  the  grown  children  of  the  Rev.  John  Lawrence 
of  Ushuaia,  brother  and  sister,  took  hold.  They  have  a 
small  cottage,  in  a  wretched  climate,  and  sacrifice  almost 


A    CAPE  HORN  MISSION:  IO5 

every  comfort  to  do  what  they  believe  to  be  good  for  the 
Yahgans. 

But  because  Yahgan  bodies  were  fitted  by  nature  for 
nakedness  in  a  bleak  desert,  and  because  Yahgan  stom- 
achs digest  mussels  and  whale's  blubber  better  than  tur- 
nip soup  or  mixed  milk  and  water  slightly  sweetened, 
the  sacrifices  of  these  young  people  can  only  hasten  the 
decay  that  has  fastened  on  the  tribe. 

As  was  said,  here  was  a  tribe,  3000  strong,  healthy, 
hearty,  and  happy  in  spite  of  apparent  adverse  circum- 
stances. They  for  twenty  years  were  under  the  lead  of 
a  most  adroit  teacher.  They  listened  to  and  said  they 
accepted  his  spiritual  teachings  ;  they  reluctantly  took 
up  his  farming  and  mechanic  arts  ;  they  eagerly  sought 
his  kinds  of  food  and  clothing.  The  missionaries  de- 
clare the  result  has  been  that  the  whole  tribe  is  civilized. 
I  saw  a  score  of  Yahgans,  and  all  to  whom  I  spoke  told 
me  they  were  Christians  and  that  other  Yahgans  were 
Christians, 

But  the  truth  is  that  of  that  tribe  of  three  thousand 
untrammelled  souls  less  than  three  hundred  can  now  be 
found.  Their  civilization — or  the  evidences  of  their 
civilization,  rather — consists  in  the  use  of  wretched  and 
dangerous  dugouts  in  place  of  graceful  and  safe  bark 
canoes  ;  the  ragged  cast  off  clothing  of  prospectors  and 
seamen  ;  wretched  little  shanties  like  those  in  the  New 
York  goat  district,  and  a  partial  knowledge  of  English 
and  Spanish. 

Worse  yet,  in  place  of  what  the  explorers  were  pleased 
to  call  the  hideous  markings  of  paint,  are  the  really  hid- 
eous evidences  of  diseases  that  have  come  since  Yahgan 
"  ferocity "  ceased  to  be  a  "  protection "  to  Yahgan 
women. 


I06         THE   GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORN. 

Where  the  blame  lies  let  the  reader  judge  for  himself, 
but  none  can  dispute  that  the  naked  savage,  who  in  the 
old  days  stood  erect  man  fashion,  and  with  furious  anger 
fought  in  defence  of  wife  and  daughter  or  even  for 
plunder,  was  a  nobler  being  in  the  siglit  of  God  and 
man  than  the  ragged,  cringing  hypocrite  that  he  has 
come  to  be  in  these  last  days. 


CHAPTER    V. 


ALONG    SHORE    IN    TIERRA    DEL    FUEGO. 


ALTHOUGH  a  considerable  part  of  the  story  of 
Tierra  del  Fuego  has  been  related  already  in  the 
chapters  on  the  Yahgans,  their  mission,  and  the  Cape 
Horn  gold  diggings,  there  are  yet  a  number  of  objects 
of  human  interest  there  which  remain  to  be  considered. 
According  to  the  old-time  explorers,  a  voyage  around  the 
coast  of  this  great  island  was  one  of  the  dreariest  as  well 
as  the  most  dangerous  in  the  world.  Dangerous  it  was 
and  still  is,  but  in  a  well-found  steamer  the  traveller 
may  find  a  sufficient  variety  in  the  island  and  its  prod- 
ucts and  peoples  to  more  than  repay  him  for  all  the  risk 
and  discomfort. 

Of  the  Tierra  del  Fuego  matters  not  yet  more  than 
touched  upon  there  is  the  settlement  called  Ushuaia, 
wherein  is  found  the  seat  of  Government  of  Argentine's 
part  of  the  island.  Ushuaia  is  a  remarkable  capital.  It 
stands  nearer  the  south  pole  than  any  other  civilized 
village  in  the  world,  for  one  thing.  For  another,  it 
probably  has  fewer  inhabitants  than  any  other  capital 
town  in  the  world. 

Of  the  landing  of  the  first  white  man  on  the  present 
107 


loS         FHE   GOLD  DIGGINGS  OP  CAPE  HORM. 

site  of  Ushuaia,  enough  was  told  in  the  last  chapter. 
That  was  the  beginning  of  the  settlement  as  a  missionary 
station.  The  town,  as  an  Argentine  settlement,  was 
founded  in  September,  1884,  and  the  Argentine  flag  was 
for  the  first  time  unfurled  over  the  first  building  erected 
for  the  use  of  the  officials  on  October  12  of  the  same 
year.  Ushuaia,  however,  was  then  made  only  a  sub- 
prefectura — the  residence  of  a  naval  Lieutenant,  who 
had  the  powers  of  an  American  Mayor  rather  than  those 
of  the  Governor  of  a  Territory.  The  Argentine  Gov- 
ernment was  at  that  time  very  busy  planting  colonies 
along  the  coast  of  Patagonia  and  at  other  points  south, 
because  the  dispute  which  it  had  had  with  Chili  over  the 
light  of  possession  had  been  settled  but  recently.  These 
settlements  were  made  to  take  actual  possession  of  the 
land  acknowledged  to  be  Argentine  territory,  and  one 
was  necessary  somewhere  on  the  south  coast  of  Tierra 
del  Fuego,  because  Argentine  had  secured  a  large  slice 
of  that  island. 

Very  few  people  knew  anything  about  Tierra  del 
Fuego  in  those  days.  The  few  hardy  prospectors  who 
had  ventured  across  the  Strait  of  Magellan  from  Punta 
Arenas  in  a  search  for  gold  nuggets  had  not  been  lucky 
enough  to  make  them  speak  well  of  it.  A  few  sheep 
ranchmen  had  gotten  hold  of  some  pasture  land  on  the 
north  coast,  but  they  had  had  to  keep  their  shepherds 
armed  with  Winchesters  because  of  the' predatory  habits 
of  the  Ona  Indians  who  lived  on  the  prairies  of  that 
part  of  the  island.  There  was  one  spot,  however,  where 
the  Indians  were  known  to  be  harmless,  because  white 
men  had  been  living  among  them  for  a  long  time  there, 
and  that  was  the  mission  station  on  Ushuaia  Bay,  in  the 
Beagle  Channel.     Moreover,  Ushuaia  Bay  was  known  to 


^iifellsiAl,,! 


* 

....-..^'■r^" 


ALONG  SHORE  IN  TIERRA    DEL  FUEGO.        IO9 

be  a  well-sheltered  harbor,  where  the  anchor  of  a  ship 
would  get  a  right  good  hold  on  the  ground.  So,  after 
sending  a  fleet  to  erect  a  lighthouse  on  the  east  end  of 
Staten  Island  for  the  benefit  of  a  commerce  in  which  it 
had  no  part,  the  Argentine  Government  ordered  the 
fleet  to  go  around  into  Ushuaia  Bay  and  establish  a  sub- 
prefectura.  The  building  of  such  a  station  would  tend 
to  encourage  the  exploration  and  development  of  the 
island,  so  the  government  believed,  and  so  the  event  is 
slowly  proving.  But  just  why  the  place  should  have 
been  raised  to  the  dignity  of  a  capital  is  past  finding  out, 
for  it  was  a  sufficient  check  on  Chilian  aggression  as  a 
sub-prefectura,  while  the  expense  to  the  government  is 
now  several  times  greater. 

I  saw  Ushuaia  for  the  first  time  under  rather  unfavor- 
able circumstances.  The  sky  was  overcast  with  storm 
clouds  ;  roaring  gusts  of  wind,  laden  with  snow,  came 
driving  along  at  frequent  intervals,  and  the  region  at 
the  water  level  was  buried  under  snow  that  was  at  no 
place  less  than  two  feet  deep.  It  was  on  the  23d  of 
May,  just  at  the  beginning  of  the  antarctic  winter.  We 
had  been  steaming  all  the  morning  along  the  Beagle 
Channel,  under  the  shadow,  so  to  speak,  of  the  glacier- 
covered  range  that  overhangs  the  south  coast  of  Tierra 
del  Fuego,  when  at  about  noon  the  range  turned  away 
to  the  north  from  the  channel,  making  a  curve  so  that 
a  half-circle  of  lowlands  like  the  floor  of  an  amphitheatre 
was  left  between  it  and  the  line  of  the  range.  Into  the 
westerly  side  of  this  floor,  where  the  waters  could  wash 
the  feet  of  the  lofty  mountains,  there  projected  a  rounded 
bay,  the  mouth  of  which  was  well  guarded,  but  not  ob- 
structed, by  a  low  island  and  a  long  sandspit  on  the  west. 
It  was  an  ideal  harbor,  and,  after  what  had  been  said  of 


no         THE   GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORN. 

it  on  board  ship,  there  was  no  difficulty  in  recognizing 
it  as  the  site  of  the  capital  of  Tierra  del  Fuego. 

A  little  later  we  rounded  the  island  and  then  the  set- 
tlement came  into  view — apparently  at  that  distance  a 
single  row  of  houses  standing  at  the  water's  edge.  Nor 
did  a  closer  approach  change  the  appearances  very  much, 
for  although  not  exactly  in  a  row  nor  washed  by  the 
waves,  there  was  only  about  a  score  of  buildings  all  told, 
and  none  of  them  was  above  a  hundred  paces  from  the 
bay. 

And  right  curious  these  houses  were.  First  of  all,  of 
course,  was  the  capitol  building,  a  one-story  structure  in 
the  form  of  a  right-angled  u  standing  with  the  wings  away 
from  the  sea. 

This  building  was  made  of  wood,  and  it  was  painted 
to  that  peculiar  shade  of  red  that  in  old  times  was  so 
much  favored  by  the  Yankee  farmer  when  he  had  put 
up  a  new  barn.  A  little  to  the  right  of  this  stood  the 
home  of  the  Governor.  This,  too,  was  a  frame  structure, 
but  it  was  in  the  form  of  a  Central  American  hacicjida 
— a  low,  rectangular  affair,  with  a  peak  roof  that  ran 
down  over  all  four  walls  to  form  a  wide  veranda  on  all 
sides.  The  rest  of  the  buildings  of  the  town  can  best 
be  described  by  saying  they  were  duplicates  of  the 
dwellings  to  be  found  in  the  mine  camps  of  the  United 
States.  Every  one  had  plain,  unpainted  wooden  walls, 
and  every  one  a  corrugated  iron  roof.  A  few  had  gar- 
den plots  enclosed  with  fences  of  split  pickets,  but  the 
majority  were  unenclosed.  They  were  all  scattered 
along  the  narrow  slope  of  one  of  the  foot-hills  of  the 
great  mountain  range.     This  slope  is  in  summer  grassy. 

Back  of  the  scattered  row  of  liouses  the  first  ridge  had 
once  been  covered  with  a  forest,  but  the  trees   for  ten 


ALONG   SHORE  IN  TlERRA    DEL   FUEGO.        1 1 1 

rods  or  more  up  the  slope  had  been  subsequently  cut 
for  fuel  and  other  purposes,  leaving  a  field  of  stumps. 
Above  the  clearing  the  forest  rose  rapidly  in  solid  roll- 
ing ridges  until  six  hundred  feet  above  the  sea.  Then 
the  forest  thinned  out,  and  in  clumps  and  bunches  of 
brush  spread  up  the  mountain  side  for  a  few  hundred 
feet  more,  to  disappear  entirely  at  the  edges  of  the  gla- 
ciers and  banks  of  eternal  snow  that  were  piled  among 
the  rugged  rocks  clear  to  the  crests  three  thousand  feet 
above  the  sea. 

To  add  to  the  sombre  aspect  of  nature  incident  every- 
where to  the  winter  season  is  the  lack,  in  Ushuaia,  of 
sunshine.  The  Beagle  Channel  is  in  55  °  south  latitude, 
so  that  in  winter  the  nights  are  long  and  the  days  brief 
at  best,  while  even  such  lengths  of  days  as  they  might 
have  in  the  open  is  cut  down  by  the  shadows  of  the  lofty 
crests.  The  sun  does  not  get  above  these  crests  until 
almost  ten  o'clock,  and  it  disappears  again  soon  after 
two  o'clock.  Even  then  its  face  is  so  often  hid  by  the 
snow  clouds  above  the  crests  that  one  may  almost  say 
that  the  village  in  winter  is  shrouded  in  perpetual 
gloom. 

As  a  port  Ushuaia  showed  a  substantial  wooden  pier 
over  one  hundred  feet  long,  built  by  the  government 
for  the  use  of  its  officials.  At  some  distance  from  this 
was  a  smaller  and  more  slender  pier,  built  by  a  merchant. 
There  was  anchored  in  the  bay  the  dismantled  hulk  of 
what  seemed  to  be  a  big,  worn-out,  seagoing  tug.  It  had 
really  been  a  tiny  cruiser,  however.  Another  vessel  of 
a  similar  model,  but  much  newer  and  well  painted,  was 
a  cruiser  kept  there  at  the  call  of  the  Governor,  but  just 
what  he  might  want  to  call  it  for  did  not  appear.  More- 
over, the  tubes  in  her  boiler  had  gone  wrong  and  she 


112         THE   GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORN. 

could  not  have  answered  anybody's  call.  In  addition  to 
these  two  there  was  quite  a  fleet — say  half  a  dozen  sail- 
boats of  the  sort  used  by  Cape  Horn  gold-hunters — 
sloops  and  catboats  from  twenty-five  to  thirty  feet  long, 
while  a  tiny  schooner  that  had  once  been  used  by  the 
missionaries  lay  rotting  on  the  beach  some  distance 
around  to  the  west.  The  vessels  afloat,  as  they  veered 
to  and  fro  at  the  ends  of  their  long  cables,  gave  some  air 
of  life  to  the  harbor,  an  air  that  was  increased  by  two  or 
three  Indian  families,  who  were  paddling  about  in  the 
wretched  little  dugouts  the  missionaries  taught  them  to 
make  in  place  of  their  old-fashioned  bark  canoes  of 
Viking  model. 

Here,  then,  in  the  score  of  mine-camp  shanties  along 
the  beach  and  in  two  broken-down  hulks  afloat,  lived 
the  inhabitants  of  the  capital  of  Tierra  del  Fuego.  If 
the  town  itself  was  curious,  its  people  and  their  manner 
of  life  were  found  to  be  no  less  curious  when  one  came 
to  get  acquainted.  Small  and  wretched  as  the  place 
was,  it  had  a  complete  outfit  of  the  officials  and  assist- 
ants needed  for  the  dignity  and  peace  of  the  most  popu- 
lous territorial  capital  anywhere.  There  was  a  complete 
list  of  executive  officers,  with  secretaries  and  servants  ; 
a  complete  list  of  judicial  officers,  with  clerks  and  ser- 
vants ;  a  complete  list  of  police  officials,  from  a  com- 
missioner to  a  patrolman  ;  a  file  of  soldiers  with  com- 
missioned and  non-commissioned  officers  ;  a  crew  of 
sailors  for  the  vessels,  with  the  usual  officers,  a  school 
teacher  (male),  and  a  matron  for  a  girls'  school. 

The  town  had  also  six  citizens — plain,  every-day  folks, 
not  entitled  to  wear  uniform.  All  told,  the  number  of 
inhabitants  was  less  than  sixty.  I  went  on  shore  to  learn 
something  more  about  the  local  government   than  what 


ALONG  SHORE  IN  TIEkRA    DEL  FUEGO.        \\% 

I  could  see  from  the  steamer.  They  told  me  that  the 
Governor  was  in  Buenos  Ayres  working  for  an  appro- 
priation to  make  improvements. 

"  Improvements  in  what  ?  "  I  asked. 

"  Just  improvements  about  the  place." 

"  How  much  money  does  he  want  ? " 

"  Who  knows  ?  He  ought  to  have  $20,000." 

"  What  one  thing,  for  instance,  would  he  do  with  the 
money  ?  " 

"  Well,  there  is  the  shed  back  of  the  Capitol,  where 
the  sawmill  is.  That  ought  to  be  enclosed  to  keep  the 
weather  off  the  machinery." 

"  Would  that  cost  $20,000  ?  " 

"  It  should  do  so.  You  'd  make  it  cost  that  if  you 
were  Governor  and  had  to  live  here.  Nobody  gets  pay 
enough  to  make  it  worth  while  staying." 

"  Will  the  Supreme  Court  sit  to-day  ?  " 

"  I  beg  pardon." 

"Will  any  Judge  hold  court  to-day?" 

"  Oh  !  Scarcely.  What  made  you  think  such  a  thing 
likely  ?  " 

"  When  are  courts  held,  then  ?  " 

"  They  are  n't  held.     No  cases  to  be  tried." 

"  Not  even  a  police  case  ?  " 

"  No.  Do  the  people  you  have  seen  look  like  crim- 
inals ? " 

"  Certainly  not.     Where  can  I  find  the  school-house  ?  " 

"  There  is  none." 

"Where  do  they  hold  school,  then  ?" 

"  They  don't  hold  any." 

"  Why  not  ?  " 

"  There  are  n't  any  children  here." 

So  the  questions  and  answers  ran  about  all  official 
8 


114         THE   GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORM. 

doings,  if  that  term  may.be  used  in  connection  with  the 
life  in  the  town  as  a  capital. 

The  truth  was  that  the  executive  department  of  the 
government  had  nothing  to  execute,  so  to  speak.  The 
courts  had  no  dockets,  the  police  had  no  beats  to  patrol, 
and  no  criminals  to  arrest.  The  soldiers  did  not  even 
stand  guard,  nor  had  the  sailors  either  a  watch  or  look- 
out to  employ  them.  Of  all  the  government  employees 
there  was  but  one  class  that  had  any  employment  worth 
mentioning.  The  cooks  and  their  assistants  had  to  labor 
daily.  Even  these  were  well-nigh  out  of  a  job  when  I 
arrived.  Owing  to  negligence  on  the  part  of  some  one 
in  Buenos  Ayres,  the  supplies  of  flour  and  about  all 
other  kinds  of  food  had  been  allowed  to  run  out.  We 
carried  thirty  half-starved  sheep  to  the  settlement  from 
Punta  Arenas,  and  these  were  hailed  with  delight,  be- 
cause everybody  there  except  the  plain  citizens  was  on 
short  allowance. 

I  made  a  tour  of  the  place,  wading  through  snow  up 
to  my  knees.  I  found  three  people  engaged  in  useful 
occupations.  One  was  a  squaw,  who  was  pulling  the 
hair  from  an  otter  skin  in  the  store  run  by  one  of  the 
plain  citizens.  In  the  kitchen  attached  to  this  store  an 
Englishman  was  getting  dinner  and  a  German  was  cut- 
ting meat  for  sausage.  In  all  I  saw  three  women  in  the 
place,  but  it  was  said  three  more  could  be  found.  There 
was  not,  they  said,  a  heating  stove  in  town,  nor  was  there 
a  cord  of  fuel  in  any  one  pile.  The  men  were  usually 
found  standing  in  what  might  be  called  the  sitting-rooms 
of  the  houses,  or  in  stores  conducted  by  the  plain  citi- 
zens. They  usually  had  their  hands  in  their  pockets. 
All  wore  heavy  sack  coats,  which  were  kept  buttoned  to 
the  chin,  while   some  had  mufflers  about  their   necks. 


ALONG  SHORE  IN  TIERRA   DEL  FUEGO.        I15 

The  plain  citizens  were  composed  of  Englishmen,  Ital- 
ians, and  Germans  in  equal  numbers.  Three  of  them  were 
Argentine  citizens,  and  the  others  were  cosmopolitans. 

When,  in  the  course  of  conversation,  I  referred  to  a 
trip  I  had  made  to  some  Colorado  mining  camps,  the 
plain  citizens  with  one  accord  brought  out  specimens 
of  ores  that  I  might  pass  judgment  on  them.  When  I 
protested  that  a  brief  residence  in  a  couple  of  mine 
camps  would  by  no  means  make  a  man  a  judge  of  ores, 
they  thought  I  was  over-modest.  They  a41  had  speci- 
mens of  gold  dust,  but  aside  from  this  there  was  noth- 
ing of  value  save  a  chunk  of  iron  said  to  have  come 
from  a  limitless  bed,  and  a  piece  of  ore  from  which  a 
Buenos  Ayres  assay  had  obtained  an  enormous  per  cent, 
of  nickel. 

I  asked  about  the  gardens.  They  said  that  cabbages, 
turnips,  carrots,  parsnips,  and  a  few  other  hardy  vegeta- 
bles flourished  in  the  season.  I  saw  cabbages  and  tur- 
nips as  big  each  as  a  peck  measure,  but  the  potatoes 
were  in  no  case  larger  than  an  English  walnut.  The 
wild  grass  of  the  region  was  said  to  be  very  nutritious, 
and  the  appearance  of  the  fresh  meat  I  saw  in  the  stores 
indicated  that  it  was  so.  One  merchant,  Mr.  Adolph 
Figue,  had  taken  up  enough  prairie  land  on  the  west 
side  of  the  bay  to  carry  6000  sheep  or  more,  and  this 
he  was  stocking  with  every  prospect  of  success,  because 
the  Rev.  John  Lawrence,  in  charge  of  the  missionary 
station,  had  very  fine  flocks  and  herds  in  the  same 
region. 

The  stores  were  established  for  trade  with  the  prospec- 
tors and  Indians.  It  will  readily  be  believed  that  prices 
were  high.  The  prospectors  bought  goods  with  gold 
dust,  while  the  Indians  traded  furs,  weapons,  and  mod- 


Il6         THE    GOLD   DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORN. 

els  of  their  old-fashioned  canoes  for  the  goods  they 
wanted.  The  traders  found  a  sale  for  the  curios  on  the 
Argentine  naval  transports  that  call  there  every  three 
weeks.  The  stocks  carried  in  the  stores  were  liquors, 
navy  bread  and  other  cured  foods,  tobaccos,  clothing, 
and  cheap  cloths,  and  miners'  tools.  The  goods  are 
named  in  the  order  of  the  demand  for  them. 

When  asked  if  there  was   anything  there  to  interest  a 
sportsman,  one  replied  : 

"  No.  We  get  all  our  game  from  the  Indians." 
The  Indians  did  the  only  out-door  work  that  I  saw 
done  on  shore.  There  were  goods  landed  from  the 
steamer,  and  a  gang  of  Yahgans  from  the  Mission 
hauled  them  from  the  little  pier  belonging  to  the  mer- 
chant up  to  the  merchant's  store,  a  distance  of  perhaps 
150  yards.  In  s])ite  of  the  depth  of  snow,  they  used  a 
hand-cart  for  that  purpose.  I  did  not  see  a  sled  or  to- 
boggan in  the  settlement.  If  any  one  there  knew  how 
to  make  and  use  a  sled,  he  did  not,  apparently,  have  the 
energy  to  use  his  knov^dedge.  In  fact,  no  white  man 
seemed  to  have  energy  enough  to  do  anything.  As  said, 
everybody  stood  about  muffled  to  the  chin  and  with  his 
hands  in  his  pockets.  They  gazed  out  of  the  window 
at  the  bay  and  the  mountains  ;  they  gazed  at  the  goods 
behind  the  counters  in  the  little  stores  ;  they  gazed  at 
the  blank  walls  and  read  for  the  ten-thousandth  time 
ordinances  and  edicts  issued  by  various  officials  and 
pasted  up  there.  Doubtless  all  would  have  been  glad 
to  sit  down — to  gaze  from  comfortable  arm-chairs  in- 
stead of  standing  up  to  do  it.  But  they  couldn't  do 
that.  There  were  no  arm-chairs,  for  one  thing,  and 
then  the  rooms,  having  no  fire,  were  too  cold  for  com- 
fort when  a  man  sat  down. 


ALONG  SHORE  IN  TIERRA   DEL  EUEGO.        11/ 

On  the  whole,  a  more  cheerless  life  than  that  of  the 
people  of  this  austral  capital  would  be  hard  to  imagine. 
They  do  not  work.  They  do  not  read.  They  do  not 
converse  more  than  is  necessary.  They  neither  flirt, 
frolic,  fight,  nor  fish.  They  have  no  interest  in  botany 
or  zoology,  and  they  keep  no  record  in  meteorology. 
Their  interest  in  geology  is  confined  to  the  finding  of 
pay  dirt,  and  they  look  for  that  in  only  the  most  desul- 
tory and  cursory  manner.  A  stay  of  three  days  is,  in 
winter  at  least,  enough  to  make  any  one  agree  that 
"  nobody  gets  pay  enough  here  to  make  it  worth  while 
staying."  Even  the  chance  of  enclosing  a  shed  at  a 
cost  of  $20,000  would  not  keep  a  Yankee  there  much 
longer  than  the  time  needed  to  enclose  a  shed. 

ON  A  BEAGLE  CHANNEL  RANCH, 

From  Ushuaia  we  steamed  away  east  for  thirty  miles, 
and  there  found,  as  the  sailors  said,  that  the  mountains 
on  the  north  side  had  all  fallen  down.  In  place  of 
lofty  peaks  and  rugged  crests  of  rock,  snow,  and  ice, 
there  were  on  the  north  side  low,  rounded  hills,  with 
luxuriant  pastures  and  beautiful  forests.  South  and 
west  lay  Navarin  Island,  and  this  was  one  huge  ridge 
that  reached  far  above  the  clouds.  That  is  to  say,  the 
land  on  the  north  of  the  channel  was  open  to  the  sun 
and  sheltered  from  the  fierce,  cold  storms  that  came 
from  the  colder  regions  south  and  west.  The  change 
of  climate  was  remarkable.  There  was  neither  snow 
nor  ice  in  sight  save  on  Navarin  Island  and  the  distant 
mountain  tops,  and  even  then  it  did  not  descend  within 
several  hundred  feet  of  the  sea. 

In  the  midst  of  this  charming  district,  living  on  the 


Il8         THE   GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORN. 

shore  of  a  little  bay  that  afforded  excellent  anchorage 
for  our  steamer,  we  found  the  Rev.  Thomas  Bridges,  the 
founder  of  the  Ushuaia  Mission,  but  who  for  seven  years 
had  been  engaged  here  as  a  ranchman  and  farmer.  All 
of  the  pasture  land  in  sight,  and  more,  too — eight  square 
leagues  lying  along  the  Beagle  Channel — belonged  to 
him.  On  the  prairie-like  Gable  Island  he  had  a  flock 
of  4500  sheep  that  needed  no  other  attention  than 
an  occasional  visit  and  shearing  in  the  season.  On  the 
mainland  he  had  herds  of  cattle,  a  band  of  horses,  and 
a  great  drove  of  pigs.  He  had  miles  of  picket  fences 
enclosing  his  pastures.  He  had  a  great  garden  patch 
on  a  sunny  slope,  where  all  the  hardy  vegetables  grew 
in  profusion  and  potatoes  attained  a  size  to  make  the 
Ushuaia  product  seem  worthless.  His  house  was  a  great, 
two-story  frame  enclosed  with  iron — in  form  and  con- 
venience like  the  house  of  an  English  country  gentle- 
man of  wealth — though  the  appearance,  due  to  the  iron, 
was  somewhat  outre.  There  were  sheds  and  storehouses 
near  by,  and  a  pleasant  pavilion  on  the  lawn  that  over- 
looked the  bay.  Afloat  was  a  great  lighter  for  carrying 
the  produce  of  the  farm  to  the  steamers  and  the  imported 
goods  ashore,  besides  a  regular  fleet  of  small  boats,  cut- 
ters, and  sloops,  for  pleasure  and  for  visiting  various 
parts  of  this  estate,  with  its  twenty-four  miles  of  water 
front. 

Nor  was  the  interior  of  the  mansion  in  any  way  be- 
hind the  general  appearance  of  the  estate.  There  were 
rich  articles  of  furniture,  a  library  (probably  the  only 
one  worth  mentioning  in  Tierra  del  Fuego),  pictures,  and 
bric-a-brac.  As  a  home,  the  house  showed  but  one  thing 
that  could  be  criticised,  and  that  was  the  room  in  one 
corner  where  clothing,   food  products,  tobaccos,  tools, 


ALONG  SHORE  IN  TIER R A   DEL  FUEGO.    ,    II9 

etc.,  were  kept  for  trading  with  prospectors  and  Indians, 
but  that  has  probably  been  removed  by  this  time  to  a 
separate  building  erected  for  the  purpose. 

The  family  of  Mr.  Bridges  consisted  of  himself  and 
wife,  his  wife's  sister,  two  charming  girls  under  sixteen, 
and  three  sturdy  boys,  only  one  of  whom,  a  lad  in  his 
teens,  was  at  home,  the  other  two  being  on  other  parts 
of  the  estate.  To  aid  these  in  the  work  of  the  estate, 
there  was  a  small  colony  of  Yahgan  Indians  living  in 
little  houses  that  were  located  behind  a  hill  out  of  sight 
of  the  great  house.  The  squaws  had  been  taught  to  do 
housework,  of  course,  and  the  men  the  heavy  work  of 
the  farm.  In  addition,  each  male  member  of  the  family 
had  a  young  Indian  valet. 

Ranching  on  the  Beagle  Channel  (this  ranch  stands 
further  south  than  any  other  in  the  world,  by  the  way), 
is  very  profitable,  according  to  Mr.  Bridges,  in  spite  of 
the  high  latitude  and  the  distance  from  the  market. 
The  sheep  yielded  enough  wool  to  net  a  gold  dollar  per 
head,  in  addition  to  which  the  increase  of  the  flock 
that  season  had  been  108  per  cent,  of  the  ewes.  The 
care  of  his  herd  of  cattle  cost  something,  because  at 
that  time  he  had  to  have  a  man  ride  the  range  to  keep 
the  cattle  from  straying  off  up  among  the  mountains, 
but  when  a  fence,  then  in  course  of  construction,  was 
completed,  the  cattle  would  in  every  way  rustle  for  them- 
selves. The  pigs,  too,  cost  nothing.  They  roamed  the 
forests,  living  on  the  tiny  nuts  the  antarctic  beeches 
produce,  and  certain  vegetable  and  fungus  growths  pro- 
duced by  nature.  This  food  produced  most  excellent 
pork  for  cured  meats.  Such  labor  as  was  needed  was 
furnished  by  the  Indians,  who  were  satisfied  with  the 
food   the  ranch  produced,   and   suflScient   clothing  for 


120         THE    GOLD   DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORN 

themselves  and  families,  in  lieu  of  cash  pay.  The  long 
experience  which  ]\Ir.  Bridges  had  had  as  a  missionary- 
had  taught  him  how  to  manage  the  Yahgans  without 
friction  and  at  small  expense. 

As  to  the  market,  the  wool  was  shipped  to  England, 
via  Buenos  Ayres.  The  surplus  pork,  bacon,  beef,  and 
vegetables  were  sold  right  on  the  farm  to  the  prospectors 
and  wandering  Indians,  who  came  with  gold  dust  and 
furs.  The  prices  obtained  were  something  to  make  glad 
the  heart  of  any  farmer,  bacon  bringing  an  English 
shilling  a  pound,  and  fresh  beef  sixpence.  On  the 
whole,  Mr.  Bridges  must  have  an  income  not  much  be- 
low $8000  a  year  in  solid  gold  from  his  ranch,  besides 
the  increase  of  his  stock,  and  the  improvements  he  is 
making  in  the  estate. 

The  acquiring  of  this  estate  cost  Mr.  Bridges  very 
little.  The  land  was  given  to  him  by  the  Argentine 
Government  under  circumstances  which  show  that  he  is 
an  adroit  man  of  business.  In  1887  there  was  quite  a 
stir  in  Buenos  Ayres  over  the  Argentine  portion  of  Tierra 
del  Fuego.  The  government  had  sent  Don  Ramon 
Lista,  a  traveller  and  man  of  letters,  on  an  exploring 
expedition  along  the  east  coast.  Herr  Julius  Popper, 
a  German  engineer  and  man  of  letters,  had  conducted  a 
prospecting  expedition  across  the  island  and  had  found 
gold  in  quantities  around  San  Sebastian  Bay.  The  stories 
and  lectures  of  these  two  men  filled  the  newspapers  for 
some  time.  At  the  height  of  the  interest  Mr.  Bridges, 
the  missionary,  arrived  in  town  and  delivered  a  lecture 
or  two  on  the  island  as  he  knew  it,  and  on  the  wonderful 
Yahgan  tribe  of  Indians.  Especial  interest  was  paid  to 
the  Yahgans,  and  the  populace  became  enthusiastic  over 
the  missionary  who  had  passed  so  many  years  of  his  life 


ALONG  SHORE  IN  TIERRA   DEL  FUEGO.        121 

in   that    out-of-the-way   region.     Taking   advantage  of 
this,  Mr.  Bridges  said  in  the  course  of  one  lecture  : 

Our  life  among  the  Yahgans  has  been  eminently  practical,  with  a 
view  of  leading  them  to  cultivate  the  soil,  keep  cattle,  build  perma- 
nent huts,  and  live  in  a  more  orderly  and  settled  manner.  The  im- 
provement which  has  taken  place  in  their  condition  since  is  wonderful. 
They  have  learned  the  arts  of  civilized  life.  They  have  acquired  the 
skilful  use  of  firearms,  and  some  of  them  are  splendid  sportsmen. 
They  are  acquainted  with  the  value  and  use  of  money,  English  or 
Argentine,  a  good  sum  of  which  is  continually  passing  through  their 
hands,  as  they  prefer  selling  for  money  rather  than  bartering.  They 
occasionally  visit  Sandy  Point  and  the  Falkland  Islands,  and  are 
thus  thrown  in  contact  with  a  civilization  which  they  are  anxious  to 
attain  to. 

My  object  in  coming  to  Buenos  Ayres  has  been  to  obtain  a  grant  of 
land  in  the  Beagle  Channel  on  which  to  create  a  farm,  and  employ 
native  labor  upon  it,  thus  seeking  to  supply  a  want  in  reference  to 
agricultural  products  which  we  have  long  felt,  and  at  the  same  time 
insure  the  well-being  of  some  of  the  natives. 

Land  on  Beagle  Channel  did  not  then  seem  of  much 
consequence  to  the  people  of  Buenos  Ayres,  so  Mr. 
Bridges,  under  their  influence,  got  a  water  front  twenty- 
four  miles  long  as  a  gift  from  the  National  Government. 
It  was  the  only  stretch  of  land  fit  for  a  ranch  on  the 
channel,  and  he  got  it  all. 

An  officer  of  the  steamer  I  was  on  said  the  land  was 
given  under  the  impression  that  it  was  to  be  used  by 
the  missionary  for  the  benefit  of  the  tribe,  and  that  even 
then  Mr.  Bridges  would  not  have  got  it  had  the  govern- 
ment known  that  the  "  wonderful  improvement  "  in  the 
condition  of  the  Yahgans,  of  which  the  lecturer  spoke, 
had  been  confined  to  a  handful  of  individuals,  Avhile  the 
tribe,  as  a  whole,  had  dwindled  from  3000  healthy 
heathen  to  a  few  hundred  diseased  beggars. 


122         THE    GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF   CAPE  HORN. 

However,  Mr.  Bridges  had  told  just  what  he  came  for 
— to  get  land  "  to  create  a  farm  and  employ  native 
labor,"  and  so  supply  a  want  for  agricultural  products 
"  which  we  (the  missionaries,  of  course,)  have  long  felt." 
Mr,  Bridges  supplies  agricultural  products  for  a  price, 
and  he  employs  some  Yahgans,  who,  as  he  believes,  are 
better  off  when  sawing  logs  by  hand  into  fence  rails  for 
his  ranch  than  they  were  in  the  old  days  sitting  around 
an  open  fire  eating  whale  blubber  and  telling  stories. 
As  to  the  prices  he  charges,  it  must  be  said  that  he 
merely  shows  good  business  tact.  They  are  always  con- 
siderably less,  even  according  to  those  prospectors  who 
do  not  like  him,  than  charged  by  Ushuaia  merchants, 
though  still  from  three  to  five  times  as  much  as  charged 
at  Punta  Arenas  (Sandy  Point),  in  the  Straits  of  Magel- 
lan. 

The  prospectors,  disposed  to  criticise  Mr.  Bridges  for 
making  the  best  business  possible  of  his  farm,  alleged, 
without  offering  any  proof  of  their  charge,  that  Mr. 
Bridges  got  his  money  for  stocking  the  farm  by  taking 
clothing  which  generous  people  of  England  sent  to  the 
mission  for  gifts  to  the  naked  savages  and  trading  it  to 
the  Indians  for  furs,  which  he  sold  for  his  own  private 
benefit.  I  do  not  believe  he  did  that.  It  appears  from 
the  missionary  record  (see  page  56,  South  Ajiicrica?t  Mis- 
sionary Magazine  of  London,  March,  1S79,  and  page  39, 
February,  1881,  for  instance),  that  the  missionaries  did 
trade  with  the  Indians  for  furs,  and  that  the  clothing 
which  the  Indians  received  was  usually,  but  not  always, 
paid  for  with  either  labor  or  furs.  The  missionaries  did 
sell  clothing  sent  out  to  be  given  to  the  Indians,  but  they 
made  no  secret  of  it,  and  the  donors  learned  the  facts  in 
the  magazine.     The  missionaries  did  not  want  to  pauper- 


ALONG  SHORE  IN  TIER R A   DEL  FUEGO.       1 23 

ize  the  Indians,  they  said,  by  giving  gifts.  But  the 
profits  of  these  trades  went  to  the  society.  In  1881  Capt. 
Willis  of  the  mission  schooner  in  a  letter  spoke  dolefully 
of  the  prospect  for  buying  skins  on  the  society's  account, 
*'  as  there  are  so  many  sealing  vessels  out."  Capt.  Willis 
spoke  also  (see  page  233  of  the  magazine)  of  three  canoe 
loads  of  Indians  who  "  exchanged  otter  skins  for  clothes, 
and  were  eager  for  tobacco." 

The  missionaries  should  not  be  accused  of  misappro- 
priation of  goods  simply  because  the  thrifty  society 
wanted  to  increase  its  cash  income  by  trading  at  a 
tremendous  profit  with  the  Indians,  for  whose  eternal 
welfare  it  had  been  created. 

Of  course  Mr.  Bridges  has  been  trading  with  the 
Indians  on  his  own  account,  but  it  was,  no  doubt,  with 
goods  purchased  with  his  own  money.  One  reads  so 
much  of  the  dangers  and  privations  which  fall  to  the  lot 
of  missionaries  that  the  fact  that  they  all  receive  good 
salaries  is  always  overlooked.  The  salary  of  a  missionary 
down  there  was  never  less  than  ;^i2o  per  year  cash, 
while  he  received  his  board  and  lodging  free  in  addition, 
of  course.  Then  there  was  land  at  Ushuaia  where  the 
missionaries  could  pasture  herds  bought  with  money 
they  saved  from  their  incomes.  They  naturally  took 
advantage  of  their  opportunities.  They  bought  cattle 
and  sheep  which  were  carried  there  on  the  society's 
yacht.  The  climate  and  the  pasture  favored  them. 
The  herds  and  flocks  increased.  What  with  his  lawful 
private  trade  and  his  lawful  stock  business  while  a  mis- 
sionary, Mr.  Bridges,  no  doubt,  had  ample  means  for 
stocking  his  farm  when  he  left  the  society's  service  to 
turn  farmer  that  he  might  "  insure  the  well-being  of  some 
of  the  natives."     With  his  twenty-four  miles  of  water 


124         THE   GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORN. 

front,  bis  cheap  labor — the  cheapest,  for  the  purpose, 
found  anywhere — and  his  ready  access  to  market,  Mr. 
Bridges  will,  doubtless,  become  one  of  the  wealthiest 
land-holders  in  the  south  part  of  the  continent. 

There  is  one  other  point  which  a  captious  critic  might 
bring  against  Mr.  Bridges,  but  is  one  the  prospectors 
would  not  be  likely  to  think  of.  Some  of  the  land  he 
now  holds  once  belonged  to  a  number  of  Yahgan  families. 
Their  title  was  not  the  indefinite  one  which  a  tribe  might 
make  to  the  territory  it  occupied,  but  a  very  clear  title — 
a  title  that  any  civilized  government  would  acknowledge. 
It  was  theirs  by  right  of  possession  and  improvement. 
The  Yahgans  had  built  houses  and  had  fenced  and  culti- 
vated this  land  before  Mr.  Bridges  thought  of  getting 
it  for  himself.  One  would  like  to  know  that  Mr.  Bridges 
bought  the  rights  of  these  Yahgans  after  he  acquired 
title  from  the  iVrgentine  Government,  and  that  he  paid 
for  them  more  liberally  than  he  was  accustomed  to  pay 
for  labor  on  the  mission  grounds. 

ON    THE    PRAIRIES    OF    TIERRA    DEL    FUEGO. 

Mention  has  been  made  of  the  fact  that  although  all  the 
adventurers  in  the  South  Sea  were  ready  to  enslave  and 
kill  fellow-men  found  under  other  flags,  and  endure  all 
sorts  of  hardships,  as  well,  for  the  sake  of  gold,  they 
nevertheless  sailed  right  past  Tierra  del  Fuego  without  a 
stop  worth  mentioning  regardless  of^  the  sea  beach  and 
grass-root  placers  that  were  to  be  found  at  many  points 
along  shore.  Almost  equally  curious  is  the  fact  that  the 
Spaniards  in  the  eighteenth  century  and  the  Argentines 
in  these  last  years  should  have  spent  much  money  in 
planting  colonies  on  the  desert  coast  of  Patagonia  when 
north  and  east  Tierra  del  Fuego,  with  a  better  climate 


ALONG  SHORE  IN   TIERRA   DEL  FUEGO.       12$ 

and  a  soil  very  much  better,  lay  idly  awaiting  appropria- 
tion. The  parts  of  Tierra  del  Fuego,  with  the  adjoining 
islands  that  made  the  old  explorers  shiver,  Avere  all  to  the 
south  and  west.  The  "most  savage  country  I  have  seen  " 
was  found  by  Captain  Cook  on  the  weather  side  of  the 
Andean  range,  where  it  rises  south  of  the  Strait  of  Ma- 
gellan. All  Tierra  del  Fuego,  save  for  that  west  coast 
range,  is  a  great  alluvial  bed,  the  work  of  floods  operat- 
ing during  untold  ages  ;  and  Tierra  del  Fuego  is  a 
triangle-shaped  island  almost  as  large  as  the  State  of 
New  York.  In  the  old-time  mud  lie  the  bones  of  old- 
time  monkeys,  kangaroos,  and  parrots  drowned  in  floods 
in  the  days  v»'hen  Tierra  del  Fuego  had  a  tropical  climate. 
It  is  apparent  that  in  old  days  there  was  a  strait  across 
Patagonia  where  the  Gallegos  River  is  now  found,  and 
there  is  a  distinct  break  in  the  Andes  there.  So,  too, 
on  Tierra  del  Fuego  there  was  a  similar  break  running 
across  from  San  Sebastian  to  Useless  Bay.  Both  regions 
are  rising  rapidly  from  the  sea  also.  But,  unlike  Pata- 
gonia, the  low  parts  of  Tierra  del  Fuego  are  well- 
watered  prairies,  while  the  foot-hills  of  the  mountain 
range  are  covered  Avith  forests  of  saw  timber. 

In  addition  to  this,  the  climate  is,  considering  the  lati- 
tude and  the  i)roximity  to  Cape  Horn,  marvellously  good. 
The  reason  for  this  is,  of  course,  found  in  the  height  of 
the  mountain  chain,  and  of  the  mountainous  islands  west 
and  south.  These  fence  off  the  storms  that  cover  the 
mountains  about  Ushuaia  v/ith  ice  and  snow.  A  snowfall 
of  six  inches  is  counted  deep  on  the  prairies,  and  if  it 
lies  forty-eight  hours  on  the  ground  the  circumstance  is 
remarkable.  On  the  other  hand,  there  are  sufficient  falls 
of  rain  to  keep  the  prairies  covered  with  the  most  luxu- 
riant grasses.     Because  frosts  come  in  every  month  it  is 


126         THE    GOLD  DIGGINGS   OF  CAPE  HORN. 

not  a  good  farming  country  ;  but,  on  the  other  hand,  it 
is  rarely  cold  enough  to  freeze  over  the  fresh-water 
ponds. 

Probably  Argentine  has  the  best  part  of  the  prairie 
region  of  Tierra  del  Fuego,  but  the  first  attempt  to  take 
advantage  of  the  rich  pastures  was  made  at  Gente  Grande 
Bay,  opposite  Punta  Arenas.  Mr.  Steubenrach,  the 
British  Consular  agent,  seeing  that  sheep  flourished  on 
the  more  sterile  plains  of  Patagonia,  got  a  concession 
from  Chili  on  the  Tierra  del  Fuego  side,  and  after  erect- 
ing fences  and  buildings,  carried  sheep  there  from  the 
Falkland  Islands,  "  placing  a  missionary  in  charge  of  the 
farm."  The  hiring  of  a  missionary  was  a  diplomatic 
stroke.  He  was  expected  to  civilize  the  Ona  tribe  of 
Indians  living  on  the  prairies  and  make  shepherds  of 
them.  This  work  was  begun  in  approved  fashion.  Pow- 
wows were  held  and  presents  distributed.  The  Onas  in 
increased  numbers  came  to  the  ranch,  and  made  many 
signs  of  good-will.  But  they  stole  sheep  by  night,  never- 
theless— rounded  up  great  bunches  of  them,  which  they 
drove  away  to  some  convenient  spot,  and  then  hobbled 
them  by  breaking  their  hind  legs.  In  this  condition  the 
sheep  could  still  feed  and  the  Onas  could  feed  on  them 
at  will. 

Thereat  the  missionary  held  more  pow-wows  and 
argued  the  matter  with  them.  He  explained  that  eternal 
perdition  awaited  the  souls  of  Indians  who  stole  sheep. 
The  Indians  were  not  troubled  by  that  prospect.  Indeed, 
it  is  said,  they  wanted  to  know  what  awaited  white  men 
who  took  land  from  the  Indians  without  paying  for  it, 
and  they  could  not  or  Vv-ould  not  understand  the  reply 
the  missionary  made  to  them.  They  seem  to  have  been 
as  obtuse  in  understanding  points  of  law  regarding  land 


ALONG  SHORE  IN  TIERRA   DEL  FUEGO.       12/ 

titles  as  North  American  Indians  have  always  been.  So 
they  went  on  taking  sheep  in  lieu  of  rentals  for  the  land. 

Finding  that  threats  of  future  fire  did  not  avail  him, 
the  missionary  sent  to  Punta  Arenas  for  Winchesters  and 
men  to  use  them.  Thereafter  the  propagation  of  sheep 
and  the  growth  of  barbed  wire  fence,  and  the  slaughter 
of  Indians  went  on  together  in  right  merry  fashion,  for 
everybody  but  the  Indians  and  an  occasional  white  man 
caught  napping. 

The  sheep  business  is  spreading  slowly,  as  all  things 
are  done  in  Spanish  American  regions,  but  it  is  a  sure 
growth.  It  will  eventually  cover  all  the  grass  land  of 
the  island,  in  spite  of  the  Onas,  just  as  it  spread  in 
Australia  in  spite  of  the  black  fellows,  and  as  cattle 
spread  in  Texas  in  spite  of  the  Comanches. 

THE    ONA    INDIANS. 

The  Ona  tribe  is  a  distinct  race  inhabiting  the  prairie 
region  of  Tierra  del  Fuego.  The  traveller  who  goes 
around  Tierra  del  Fuego  in  the  Argentine  transports  is 
sure  to  see  several — children  and  women,  as  a  rule,  who 
have  been  captured  by  the  soldiers  that  make  occasional 
forays  from  two  of  the  three  stations  that  the  Argentine 
Government  maintains  on  the  island.  One  of  these  two 
stations  is  at  Paramo,  mentioned  in  the  chapter  on  the 
gold  diggings,  and  the  other  is  at  Thetis  Bay  on  the 
south-east  corner  of  the  island.  At  both  of  these 
stations  one  may  usually  find  a  couple  of  officers  and  a 
soldier  or  two  having  their  families  with  them.  The 
Ona  children  are  used  as  servants  in  these  families,  and 
when  the  families  return  to  Buenos  Ayres  they  carry  the 
youngsters  along  with  them.     I  saw  a  full-grown  girl  and 


128         THE   GOLD   DIGGINGS   OF  CAPE  HORN: 

a  half-grown  boy,  brother  and  sister,  taken  there  in  the 
steamer  I  was  on. 

In  the  city  they  get  "  a  sufficiency  of  food  "  and  a 
"  semi-annual  distribution  of  clothing." 

It  was  the  doings  of  a  party  of  Ona  Indians  that  gave 
Tierra  del  Fuego  its  name.  The  Onas  have  always 
inhabited  the  part  of  the  island  which  IMagellan  first 
saw,  and  their  habit  of  signaling  one  another  by  means 
of  fires  led  them  to  make  extraordinary  smokes  at  the 
marvellous  spectacle  of  the  ships  of  the  navigator. 
Magellan  naturally  called  it  the  Land  of  Fire, 

It  is  a  curious  fact  that  the  Onas  have  been  mentioned 
very  little  in  the  stories  of  Cape  Horn  travellers  in  com- 
parison with  what  is  said  of  the  Yahgans  and  the  other 
tribe  of  the  region  called  the  Alaculoofs.  Nearly  all  of 
the  early  navigators  fell  in  with  Alaculoofs,  but  so  far  as 
I  remember  only  Darwin  and  Fitzroy  make  special 
mention  of  the  larger  and  strange  tribe  of  the  prairies  of 
Tierra  del  Fuego.  Cook  did  see  some  and  he  partly 
describes  them,  but  he  did  not  understand  that  a  part  of 
the  clan  he  saw  was,  as  his  illustration  seems  to  prove, 
of  the  Yahgan  tribe  and  part  of  the  Ona. 

The  reason  the  Onas  were  overlooked  is  made  plain 
to  the  modern  traveller.  They  were  a  land  tribe  ;  they 
did  not  make  canoes  and  they  had  no  horses.  The 
Indians  with  canoes  came  off  to  the  ships  of  the  explorers. 
The  Onas  could  not  do  so.  Moreover,  the  explorers 
kept  to  the  north  shore  of  the  Strait  of  Magellan,  east 
of  the  narrows,  because  of  the  more  sheltered  anchorages 
there,  and  so  they  saw  the  Tehuelches  of  Patagonia,  but 
missed  the  Onas. 

People  who  know  the  results  of  white  visits  to  ab- 
original tribes  will  congratulate  the  Onas. 


AN   ONA  FAMILY,  ,— •" 


CD 
CD 

ro 

CD 


ALONG  SHORE  IN  TIERRA   DEL  FUEGO.       1 29 

Modern  explorers  of  Tierra  del  Fuego, — the  prospec- 
tors and  the  plainsmen  of  Patagonia,  believe  that  the 
Onas  and  the  Tehuelches  are  of  one  origin.  In  proof  of 
this  it  is  alleged  that  the  languages  of  the  two  are  so 
much  alike  that  the  two  tribes  understand  each  other 
when  brought  together. 

This  brings  us  to  one  of  the  most  remarkable  facts  in 
connection  with  the  Onas.  They  do  not  build  boats 
and  neither  do  the  Tehuelches  of  Patagonia,  but  con- 
siderable numbers  of  Onas  have  been  found  in  Patagonia 
and  may  still  be  found  there. 

How  these  Onas  got  over  to  Patagonia  without  a  boat 
is  an  interesting  question,  but  it  is  not  unlikely  that  they 
swam  across  on  some  hot  day  in  summer  at  the  first 
narrows  in  the  Strait  of  Magellan.  A  strong  swimmer 
could  easily  cross  there  at  slack  water,  in  spite  of  the 
low  temperature  of  the  strait. 

The  Onas  in  their  native  land  have  no  horses.  They 
have  in  these  last  years  captured  a  good  many  from  the 
sheep  men,  but  they  have  eaten  them  as  fast  as  they  got 
them.  Horse  meat  is  the  greatest  of  delicacies  to  them 
as  it  is  to  the  Tehuelches.  Their  chief  dependence  for 
food  is  the  guanaco  that  abounds  in  Tierra  del  Fuego 
and  a  prairie  squirrel.  In  the  chase  they  depend  on 
bows  and  arrows  and  the  bolas  chiefly.  But  the  Onas 
often  kill  the  guanaco  by  surrounding  a  bunch  and 
running  them  down.  Thus  the  Ona  has  become,  prob- 
ably, the  best  cross-country  runner  in  the  world.  One 
shepherd  told  me  that  often,  when  mounted  on  a  first- 
class  mustang,  he  had  been  obliged  to  chase  an  Ona  five 
miles  across  the  plain  before  he  could  get  "within  killing 
range  of  the  thief,"  and  even  then  the  Indian  was  not 
unlikely  to  double  or  dodge  and  escape  altogether. 


130         THE   GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORN. 

The  picture  of  an  Ona  Indian  flying  for  life  across  the 
prairies  with  a  relentless  horseman  in  pursuit  is  some- 
thing to  stir  the  blood  of  the  spectator  ;  it  would  stir  the 
blood  of  a  citizen  of  "  the  boundless  plains  "  of  the  United 
States  in  one  way,  and  that  of  "  the  Quakers  in  the 
effete  East  "  in  another,  however.  But  it  is  a  picture 
often  seen  in  these  days  in  Tierra  del  Fuego. 

The  home  of  the  Ona  is  as  bad  as  any  in  the  world. 
A  saucer-shaped  hollow  big  enough  for  a  bed  for  all  the 
family  is  scooped  in  the  ground.  In  the  little  ridge 
about  this  poles  and  brush  are  placed,  and  over  the 
weather  side  of  the  brush  is  thrown  a  skin  or  two.  The 
fire  is  usually  built  just  without,  but  near  the  door  of  the 
hut.  It  is  more  useful  for  cooking  food  than  for  impart- 
ing warmth.  The  Onas  at  night  allow  the  fire  to  go  out. 
To  protect  themselves  from  the  cold  they  resort  to  a 
novel  blanket.  They  all  lie  down  on  the  ground  with 
the  children  in  the  middle  of  the  huddle,  and  then  call 
their  dogs  to  come  and  lie  around  and  over  them.  It  is 
a  poverty-stricken  Ona  family  that  has  not  enough  dogs  to 
cover  it  out  of  sight.  The  dogs  are  a  sharp-nosed  but 
hairy  lot,  and  they  certainly  keep  the  family  warm. 

The  fact  that  all  the  tribes  of  the  Cape  Horn  region 
build  such  wretched  houses  has  always  been  taken  as  a 
proof  of  their  lack  of  intelligence.  How  great  a  mistake 
was  thus  made  in  the  case  of  the  Yahgans  has  already 
been  shown.  The  Onas,  as  will  some  day  be  learned, 
are  also  misjudged.  The  reason  for  building  so  frail  a 
shelter  is  apparent  on  a  brief  consideration  of  their 
method  of  life.  They  are  necessarily  nomads.  When 
the  food  of  one  spot  was  eaten  they  had  to  migrate. 
Now,  the  Onas  had  no  horses  or  beasts  of  burden,  as  did 
the  Tehuelches.     They  could  not  carry  big  skin  tents 


ALONG   SHORE  IN  TIERRA    DEL   FUEGO.       I3I 

about  as  the  Tehuelches  did.  So  they  built  a  temporary 
shelter  only.  In  the  coldest  Aveather  a  location  near  the 
seashore,  where  mussels  and  fish  abounded,  was  usually 
chosen,  and  there  they  built  larger  and  better  wigwams. 
When  they  migrated  to  Patagonia  and  acquired  horses 
they  made  skin  tents.  They  did  not  make  poor  shelters 
from  any  lack  of  intelligence. 

The  skin  of  the  Ona  is  remarkably  white  for  one  who 
lives  all  but  naked  in  the  open  air.  Their  hair  is  black, 
but  lustreless,  and  they  have  a  curious  habit  of  singeing 
off  the  hair  so  as  to  leave  a  tonsure  on  top  of  the  head 
just  where  the  North  American  Indian  allowed  the  hair 
to  grow  long  for  a  scalp  lock.  The  face  is  oval,  the 
eyes  dark  and  pleasant,  the  cheek  bones  not  too  promi- 
nent, the  nose  sometimes  quite  prominent,  and  the 
mouth  full  and  with  regular  but  yellowish  teeth.  Be- 
cause whiskers  come  late  in  life,  and  so  are  an  indica- 
tion of  coming  age,  the  men  pluck  them  out,  through  a 
desire  to  appear  young  ;  but  after  thirty-five  they  let  the 
beard  grow  because  of  the  pain  of  pulling  so  many  hairs 
as  then  come.  They  are  remarkable  for  using  combs  made 
of  whalebone.   No  other  tribe  near  Cape  Horn  does  that. 

Their  shoulders  are  broad  and  strong  and  the  chests 
deep.  The  mothers  have  hanging  breasts,  but  those  of 
the  maidens  are  well-rounded  and  firm.  The  arms  and 
limbs  are  round  and  sinewy,  but  the  stomach,  especially 
after  a  square  meal,  is  very  prominent. 

Of  the  capacity  of  the  Ona's  stomach,  one  story  will 
serve.  A  girl  of  about  fifteen,  who  was  captured  on  a 
northern  ranch,  refused  to  eat  for  eight  days,  and  then 
appetite  got  the  better  of  her  temper.  A  sheep  had 
been  roasted  whole  for  the  dinner  of  the  rancher's  fam- 
ily, but  the  Ona  girl  was  allowed  to   begin  on  it,  and 


132         THE   GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORN. 

seeing  that  her  appetite  was  good,  she  was  not  inter- 
rupted. When  she  had  finished,  so  they  say,  she  had 
cleaned  all  the  bones  of  the  sheep. 

For  making  a  fire  the  Onas  carry  bits  of  iron  ore, 
which  come  from  an  island  in  the  Alaculoof  region,  west 
of  Tierra  del  Fuego,  and  are  obtained  by  barter  with 
that  tribe.  Flints  and  agates  abound  in  the  Ona  coun- 
try, and  these  with  the  ore  and  a  bit  of  dry  fungus, 
always  carried  wrapped  in  a  bit  of  hide  or  a  bladder,  en- 
able the  Ona  to  light  a  fire  even  in  a  rain-storm. 

The  Ona  bows  are  made  of  native  wood  worked  into 
shape  with  shell  knives  where  civilized  knives  are  not  to 
be  had,  but  so  many  prospectors  have  been  killed  by 
them  in  recent  years,  that  the  tribe  is  fairly  well  supplied 
with  cutlery.  Then,  too,  barrels  drift  ashore  from  Cape 
Horn  ships,  and  the  iron  hoops  are  made  into  knives. 
The  ships  also  supply  materials  for  tips  for  the  Ona 
arrows  in  the  shape  of  whiskey  bottles.  Very  fine  points 
are  made  from  glass  by  the  Ona  artisans.  The  arrows 
are  made  of  a  kind  of  reed,  and  are  so  light  as  to  be  well- 
nigh  useless  when  fired  against  the  wind. 

Very  little  is  known  of  the  Ona  language,  save  that  it 
is  as  harsh  as  the  Yahgan  is  liquid.  Their  religious  be- 
liefs, too,  are  unknown.  When  in  distress,  as  when  cap- 
tured by  the  whites,  the  old  cut  long  and  deep  slashes  in 
the  chest  with  any  sharp  thing  at  hand  ;  but  when  once 
they  find  themselves  well  treated  they  become  bright 
and  cheerful  and  affectionate,  and  rarely  evince  a  dis- 
position to  leave  their  captors.  From  what  is  said  of 
these  captives  (who  are  in  all  cases  held,  as  said,  prac- 
tically as  slaves,  in  that  they  receive  only  food  and  clothes 
for  their  labor),  it  is  plain  that  the  Ona  is  an  agressive 
warrior  toward  the  whites  only  because  of  ill-treatment. 


ALONG   SHORE  IN   TIERRA   DEL  FUEGO.      133 

When  the  Rev.  Bridges  and  the  Right  Rev.  Sterling 
once  made  a  journey  across  the  island  they  had  not  one 
bit  of  trouble.  They  did  not  kill  anybody,  did  not  have 
any  cause  for  firing  a  gun,  or  making  either  an  aggres- 
sive or  defensive  movement.  Damnable  ill-treatment  on 
the  part  of  the  whites  is  at  the  bottom  of  all  the  Ona 
aggressiveness — and  Ona  suffering. 

The  only  effort  that  has  been  made  to  alleviate  the 
sufferings  of  the  Onas  at  the  hands  of  the  whites  was  the 
establishing  of  a  Catholic  mission  near  San  Sebastian 
Bay.  When  I  was  there  no  success  had  been  attained 
by  the  mission.  On  the  contrary,  a  priest,  who  had  gone 
with  a  guide  to  seek  for  the  Onas,  had  failed  to  return, 
and  when  a  party  of  sailors  from  the  nearby  sub-prefec- 
tura  went  to  look  for  the  two,  they  found  their  heads 
only.  The  Onas  have  been  made  to  suffer  so  much  that 
they  will  not  now  trust  any  one. 

When  prospectors  have  disappeared  only  their  bones 
have  usually  been  found,  and  these  were  always  marked 
either  with  fire  or  human  teeth.  The  Onas  eat  the 
whites  they  capture,  hoping  thereby  to  obtain  the  white 
man's  valor. 

In  their  fierce  fight  for  their  homes,  the  Onas  have  an 
advantage  in  the  fact  that  the  dividing  line  between  the 
Argentine's  and  Chili's  shares  of  the  island  runs  through 
the  heart  of  their  country.  Each  white  nation  is  very 
much  opposed  to  allowing  the  other  to  invade  its  terri- 
tory with  an  armed  force,  and  so  the  efforts  of  the  sailors 
and  soldiers  of  either  side  must  end  near  the  line,  if  not 
on  it.  So  pursuit  of  the  Onas  is  always  ineffectual. 
Nevertheless,  the  shepherd  will  drive  them  into  a  corner 
at  last  by  extending  his  wire  fences,  and  then  extermina- 
tion will  come. 


134         THE   GOLD   DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORN: 

It  is  an  interesting  fact  in  medical  science,  that  the 
Onas  a  long  time  ago  discovered  a  sure  and  speedy- 
remedy  for  the  chief  ill  that  Indians  are  heir  to  through 
association  with  the  whites,  in  a  decoction  of  the  thorny 
bush  that  grows  on  the  plains,  and  is  known  to  science 
as  berberis. 

THE    ALACULOOFS. 

One  tribe  inhabiting  the  Cape  Horn  region  remains  to 
be  mentioned.  It  is  found  exclusively  among  the  islands 
west  of  Punta  Arenas  and  Cockburn  Channel.  I  wish 
that  I  had  the  facts  for  describing  it.  This  is  the  tribe 
that  has  been  mentioned  so  often  by  people  passing 
through  the  Strait  of  Magellan.  They  were  invariably 
called  Fuegians  by  all  who  saw  them,  and  were  described 
in  terms  to  indicate  that  they  are  the  most  wretched,  the 
most  filthy,  the  most  degraded,  and  the  most  terrible 
beings  on  earth.  As  I  said,  I  should  like  to  know  the 
facts,  for  these  descriptions,  except  as  to  their  appear- 
ance to  a  casual  observer,  are  valueless.  The  Yahgans 
were  described  in  equally  severe  terms. 

On  the  beach  at  Punta  Arenas  the  citizens  pointed  to 
a  dismantled  sloop  that  was  hauled  up  to  be  sold  at 
auction.  She  was  a  ragged  thing,  say  twenty  feet  long. 
There  was  a  large  hatch  amidships  with  splashes  of 
blood  on  it,  and  a  number  of  holes  where  Winchester 
bullets  had  come  up  through  the  boards  from  below. 
She  bore  the  name  of  Teresina  B.  With  four  men  as  a 
crew  and  a  cargo  of  tobacco,  rum,  old  clothes,  matches, 
hard  bread,  cheap  cutlery,  etc.,  she  had  sailed  away  from 
Punta  Arenas  for  a  trading  voyage  to  the  Alaculoof 
Indians.  Her  crew  were  bound,  in  a  small  way,  on  a 
voyage  like  that  of  the  great  Magellan  ;  they  meant  to 


ALUCULOOF  INDIANS. 


ALONG  SHORE  IN    TIERRA   DEL  FUEGO.      135 

get  valuables  in  return  for  things  of  little  value.  When 
about  forty-five  miles  south  of  the  town  they  sent  a  man 
ashore  in  a  small  boat  for  wood  and  water,  and  that  was 
the  last  ever  seen  of  the  man.  The  next  morning  three 
canoes  loaded  with  Indians  came  in  view.  Thereat  one 
of  the  white  sailors  urged  the  sloop's  captain  to  make 
the  Indians  stay  away,  or  at  least  to  permit  but  two  or 
three  men  in  one  canoe  to  approach  at  a  time.  To  this 
the  captain  replied  that  the  Indians  were  Christian 
Yahgans  from  Ushuaia,  and  just  what  were  wanted. 

"  Very  well,"  said  the  sailor,  "  you  may  do  the  trading. 
I  '11  go  down  below." 

He  went  below  and  drew  the  hatch  almost  to  its  place 
and  fastened  it.  The  captain  and  the  other  sailor  re- 
mained on  deck  to  trade,  the  sailor  sitting  over  the 
companion-way. 

As  the  Indians  drew  alongside  it  appeared  that  they 
were  Alaculoofs  instead  of  Yahgans,  and  they  dropped 
their  paddles,  and,  grasping  their  harpoons,  attacked  the 
whites.  Both  white  men  were  badly  wounded  by  the 
first  harpoons  thrown.  The  sailor  fell  into  the  cabin, 
his  head  badly  cut,  and  all  life  apparently  gone.  The 
captain  had  life  enough  to  try  to  crawl  down,  but  the 
Indians  were  on  him,  and  he  was  harpooned  to  death. 

Then  the  Indians  swarmed  on  the  sloop,  and  the  man 
who  had  fled  to  the  hold  opened  fire  with  his  rifle.  The 
Indians  tried  to  get  at  him  with  their  harpoons,  but  the 
white  man's  weapon  was  too  much  for  them,  and  they 
had  to  flee. 

This  is  the  story  the  man  who  hid  in  the  hold  told 
after  he  got  back  to  Punta  Arenas,  bringing  the  body  of 
the  captain  and  the  wounded  sailor.  It  may  be  true. 
The  Indians  have  been  swindled  and  openly  robbed, 


136         THE   GOLD  DIGGINGS   OF  CAPE   HORN, 

maltreated,  and  murdered  often  by  these  Punta  Arenas 
traders,  and  if  they  did  not  retaliate  sometimes  one 
would  not  think  well  of  them. 

Early  in  1894  the  Catholics  of  Punta  Arenas  estab- 
lished a  mission  station  in  the  Alaculoof  territory.  Pos- 
sibly this  mission  will  do  the  Indians  good  instead  of 
harm. 


CHAPTER  VI. 


STATEN    ISLAND    OF    THE    FAR    SOUTH. 


WHEN  the  ordinary  citizen  of  New  York  city  hears 
any  one  speak  of  Staten  Island  the  name  at  once 
recalls  to  his  mind  a  host  of  pictures  of  ferryboats  cross- 
ing a  beautiful  bay  ;  a  landing  where  vociferous  men  in 
uniform  and  rapid-transit  trains  await  the  rush  of  passen- 
gers ;  shady  avenues  leading  over  rolling  green  hills  ; 
charming  cottage  homes  with  grassy  lawns  and  tennis 
courts  about  them  ;  booming  town  sites  ;  a  sea  beach 
devoted  to  fun  that  is  hilarious  rather  than  joyous  ; 
oyster  beds  and  fishing  smacks — a  most  remarkable  con- 
glomeration of  metropolitan,  rural,  and  alongshore  life, 
and  all  within  a  half-hour's  journey  of  the  city  which  he 
proudly  calls  his  own.  To  a  few — to  a  gray-haired  mer- 
chant here  and  there  down  town,  a  few  grizzled  watch- 
men about  the  shipping,  sundry  skippers  of  the  ships 
where  the  watchmen  are  employed,  all  of  whom  have 
seen  service  in  the  sealing  ships  of  twenty-five  years  and 
more  ago — a  reference  to  Staten  Island  awakens  memo- 
ries of  an  entirely  different  nature.  Instead  of  the 
smooth  waters  of  New  York  harbor  they  think  of  a 
boisterous  sea  ;  instead  of  leafy  avenues,  bordered  by 

137 


138         THE   GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORN. 

charming  homes,  they  see  only  foaming  surf,  with  dark 
and  threatening  cliffs  ;  instead  of  the  pleasures  of  tennis 
court  or  the  hilarious  dance,  they  remember  only  the 
whizz  of  a  hurricane  in  a  ship's  rigging,  and  work  on 
deck  when  drenched  by  icy  sleet  and  rain.  The  one 
knows  only  the  Staten  Island  that  bounds  the  south  side 
of  New  York  bay  ;  the  other  knows  as  well,  perhaps  is 
much  more  familiar  with,  that  other  American  Staten 
Island  lying  more  than  7000  miles  away  in  the  Cape 
Horn  region. 

No  more  lovely  Indian  summer  day  was  ever  seen 
than  the  first  day  of  the  Antarctic  winter,  June  i,  of  the 
year  1894,  as  enjoyed  by  the  passengers  and  crew  of  the 
Argentine  naval  transport  Us/iiiaia,  as  she  steamed  out 
of  the  east  end  of  Beagle  Channel  and  headed  for  the 
Strait  of  Le  Maire,  bound  to  St.  John  harbor,  in  the  east 
end  of  the  Antarctic  Staten  Island.  The  air  was  soft 
and  warm,  the  water  dimpled,  the  leaves  on  the  waving 
trees  ashore  flashed  in  the  sunlight,  the  distant  snow- 
capped mountains  rose  through  a  dreamy  haze.  And  so 
the  conditions  remained  until  the  sun  went  down  and 
the  slender  arc  of  the  new  moon  appeared  among  the 
luminous  mists  of  the  western  sky.  To  the  passengers 
the  prospect  of  a  delightful  night  was  all  that  could  be 
asked,  but  the  old  salts  shook  their  heads, 

"  You  just  hold  fast  all  till  midnight,"  said  one  to 
whom  a  passenger  spoke  enthusiastically  of  the  weather. 
"  To-night  is  the  change  of  the  moon,  eh  ? "  and  he 
nodded  his  head  toward  the  west. 

Sure  enough,  by  midnight  a  northwest  gale  fit  to  twist 
the  life  out  of  a  ship  was  roaring  over  the  water,  and  the 
little  Ushiiaia  was  pitching  and  tossing  along  like  a  New- 
port catboat  in  a  cross  sea.     She  was  then  in  the  Strait 


//-■^.6 


;^A 


Sill 


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\h     .u    I  Mi) 


-^«i: 


z   < 

I    - 

O   S 
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tel 

I-  " 

<    a 


> 

o  g 


STA  TEN-  ISLAND  OF  THE  FAR  SOUTH.       1 39 

of  Le  Maire,  and  a  worse  current  for  a  contrary  wind 
can  probably  be  found  nowhere  in  the  world.  It  is  a 
rush  of  broken  water  hurrying  along  at  from  five  to  six 
and  a  half  knots  an  hour,  while  the  tide  rips,  formed  by 
the  eddies  off  the  capes  on  both  sides  of  the  strait,  are 
something  to  make  a  seaman  gasp.  Luckily  for  us,  we 
had  a  seaboat  of  a  model  fit  even  for  a  maelstrom,  and 
with  scarce  a  sea  on  deck  we  labored  through  the  worst 
of  it,  and  at  daylight  next  morning  the  outline  of  "the 
rugged  inhospitable  Staten  land  was  visible  amidst  the 
clouds  "  on  the  starboard  bow. 

Thereafter  we  cruised  along,  heading  to  the  east,  for 
several  hours  within  a  very  few  miles  of  the  coast,  and 
the  passengers  gathered  on  deck  to  gaze  on  such  land- 
scapes as  only  those  who  travel  out  of  the  usual  way 
may  enjoy.  And  certainly  it  was  a  view  worth  all  the 
discomforts  of  a  long  and  stormy  voyage,  for  here  is 
found  the  end  of  the  mountain  system  of  all  the  Ameri- 
cas. Cape  Horn  Island  is,  in  a  sense,  the  south  end  of 
the  Americas,  but  the  backbone  of  the  hemisphere  bends 
to  the  east  at  Mount  Sarmiento  on  Tierra  del  Fuego, 
and  running  along  the  shore  of  that  great  island  is 
broken  by  the  Strait  of  Le  Maire,  as  it  was  broken  by 
the  Strait  of  Magellan,  only  to  appear  again  beyond  the 
narrow  water  in  the  cliffs  and  ridges  and  gulches  of 
Staten  Island.  It  is  not  until  one  has  been  on  or  around 
Cape  St.  John,  on  the  east  end  of  this  island,  that  he  can 
accurately  say  he  has  rounded  the  southern  end  of  the 
American  continent. 

It  is  true  that  at  first  glance  one  would  scarcely  recog- 
nize any  relationship  between  the  Rocky  Mountain 
system  and  the  ridges  of  Staten  Island,  but  one  does  not 
need  to  be  a  geologist  to  recognize  a  certain  similarity 


140         THE   GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORN. 

on  a  closer  inspection.  And  no\vhere  will  the  similarity 
be  recognized  more  quickly  than  when  passing  New 
Year's  Islands,  just  off  the  north  coast  of  Staten.  Here 
on  these  islands,  small  as  they  are,  the  traveller  sees  a 
tiny  picture  of  the  plains  of  Colorado,  below  Pike's  Peak, 
and  if  he  will  but  land  there,  and  wash  a  panful  of  dirt, 
he  will  find  at  the  bottom  the  kind  of  dust  that  has  made 
Cripple  Creek  famous. 

As  seen  from  the  passing  steamer,  Staten  Island  is  a 
continuous  ridge  varying  for  the  most  part  from  2000  to 
3000  feet  above  the  sea.  The  sides  seem  steep  and  the 
tops  are  rounded.  The  snow  line  in  June  was  about 
1000  feet  above  the  sea,  but  the  use  of  the  word  line 
should  not  be  understood  to  imply  that  the  snow  ended 
at  any  well-defined  limit.  Not  all  the  crests  2000  feet 
high  were  white,  and  on  the  sides  of  the  mountains  the 
drifts  and  blotches  of  snow  sometimes  reached  down  to 
within  500  or  600  feet  of  the  surf.  Still,  there  was  com- 
paratively little  snow  below  an  altitude  of  1000  feet,  and 
not  much  bare  ground  above  that  limit.  At  a  distance 
of  five  or  six  miles  the  colors  of  the  uncovered  parts  of 
the  mountains  were  dark  grays  and  black.  The  rocks 
looked  very  like  the  rocky  declivities  one  may  see  all 
along  the  Hudson,  though  in  no  other  respect  was  the 
scenery  like  that  on  the  Hudson.  A  closer  view  of  the 
island  showed  that  the  darkest  shades  of  the  mountain 
sides  were  green  rather  than  black,  and  were  due  to  wide 
masses  of  vegetation,  among  which  tree  trunks  could  be 
distinguished  with  a  glass.  But  there  was  no  sign  of 
animal  life  ashore. 

Over  the  sea,  however,  as  we  steamed  along,  the  air 
fairly  teemed  with  antarctic  life.  Ducks  in  flocks  a 
half  mile  long  drifted  and  sailed  hither  and  yon.     The 


STATEN  ISLAND  OF  THE  FAR  SOUTH.        I4I 

little  Cape  Horn  pigeons,  whose  black  backs  and  wings 
are  most  beautifully  mottled  with  white,  floated  in  scores 
and  hundreds  in  the  air  about  the  ship,  sometimes  so 
closely  that  one  could  almost  touch  them  with  the  hand. 
The  huge  white  albatross,  with  its  ten-foot  spread  of 
wings,  careened  up  and  down  and  around,  as  if  for  the 
pure  love  of  the  motion,  while  coal  black  gulls — the 
web-footed  ravens  of  the  sea — contested  with  their  light- 
colored  cousins  for  the  refuse  thrown  from  the  ship. 
Then  there  were  the  penguins.  Once,  as  we  steamed 
along,  we  ran  into  a  flock  of  them,  and  sent  them  diving 
from  wave  to  wave — in  on  one  side  and  out  on  the  other 
— in  a  way  that  at  first  sight  made  the  spectators  think 
that  they  were  a  school  of  fish,  short  and  thick,  black  on 
top,  and  with  a  white  stripe  on  the  side,  skurrying  away 
for  life.  Even  now,  as  I  think  of  them,  I  am  haunted 
with  a  doubt  as  to  whether,  after  all,  when  I  thought  I 
saw  webbed  feet  and  outstretched  neck,  I  was  not  mis- 
taken, so  great  was  the  resemblance  of  the  fleeing  pen- 
guin to  a  fish.  And  then  there  was  a  tiny  kind  of  gull, 
the  male  of  which  was  almost  pure  white — a  bird  that 
seemed  little,  if  any,  larger  than  a  robin.  It  was  a  most 
wary  and  most  sprightly  little  fellow,  and  it  almost 
always  preferred  diving  to  flying.  In  short,  nowhere  in 
the  whole  voyage  of  the  Ushuata,  of  which  the  trip  to 
St.  John  harbor  was  but  a  small  part,  did  I  see  bird  life 
so  abundant,  so  varied,  or  so  beautiful  and  interesting 
as  off  the  coast  of  Staten  Island. 

By  ten  o'clock  in  the  morning  we  were  plainly  ap- 
proaching the  barren,  bold  promontory  that  faced  the 
giant  seas  at  the  east  end  of  the  island.  The  gale  of 
the  night  before  had  moderated  considerably  by  that 
time,  but  the  nearer  we  approached  the  headland  the 


142         THE    GOLD  DIGGINGS   OF  CAPE  HORN. 

more  boisterous  did  the  sea  seem  to  be  before  us.  To 
the  passengers  who  did  not  know  the  place  we  seemed 
to  be  rushing  into  a  tide  rip  more  dangerous  than  any- 
thing we  had  seen,  but  just  when  we  were  preparing  for 
the  tossing  that  appeared  inevitable,  the  frowning  coast 
line  opened.  A  fiord  between  the  mountains  was  seen 
off  the  starboard  bow,  and  we  at  once  headed  in  for  it. 
The  tide  rip  off  the  east  end  of  the  island,  a  rip  that  has 
mention  in  all  the  coast  guides  and  charts  of  the  Cape 
Horn  region,  begins  at  this  harbor. 

As  we  entered  the  mouth  of  the  fiord,  we  could  see 
that  on  a  rock  jutting  out  from  the  westerly  side  was  a 
building  in  form  and  apparently  in  size  the  exact  coun- 
terpart of  the  six-sided  peanut  and  candy  pavilions  one 
can  see  about  the  picnic  and  other  resorts  near  New 
York.  Its  peaked  roof  was  surmounted  by  a  bulbous 
cupola  like  the  top  of  a  tower  of  a  Jewish  synagogue, 
and  near  by  was  a  tall  flagstaff  from  which  the  blue-white- 
blue  Argentine  flag  flapped  vigorously  in  the  gale. 

By  and  by  we  got  pretty  close  under  this  rock,  and 
then  we  could  see  some  men  in  naval  uniform  standing  on 
a  ledge  beside  a  little  cannon,  which  they  fired  off  just  as 
we  ran  from  the  breaking  waves  that  were  dashing  across 
the  mouth  of  the  harbor  into  the  oil-smooth  water  within. 
The  ship  answered  the  salute  with  a  roaring  blast  of  her 
whistle,  and  then  we  rounded  the  crag  where  the  pavilion 
stood,  and  found  ourselves  in  what  looked  like  a  bowl- 
shaped  bay,  walled  in  by  precipices  so  high  as  to  make 
our  vessel  seem  utterly  insignificant.  Then  on  one  side 
of  this  bowl,  fifty  feet  or  so  above  the  water,  was  seen 
a  row  of  little  light-colored  wooden  houses,  built  on 
a  narrow  bench  on  the  mountain  side.  There  was  a 
flagstaff  before  the  largest  of  the  buildings,  and  a  neat 


STATEN-  ISLAND  OF  THE  FAR  SOUTH.       143 

picket  fence  before  the  whole  row.  From  the  centre  of 
this  fence  a  stairway  ran  down  the  steep  decline  from 
the  bench  to  the  beach,  and  from  the  foot  of  the  stair  a 
narrow  pier  projected  a  hundred  feet  into  the  bay.  There 
were  davits  on  both  sides  of  the  pier,  with  boats  hanging 
to  them,  and  not  far  away  was  a  big  lifeboat  of  heavy 
model  lying  at  anchor.  The  grass  that  had  grown  be- 
low the  water  line  of  the  lifeboat  was  so  long  that  it 
could  be  seen  a  hundred  yards  away  as  she  rolled  lazily 
in  the  dead  swell. 

As  soon  as  we  had  cast  anchor  a  couple  of  officers  and  a 
crew  of  sailors  came  down  to  the  pier,  and  then  rowed 
off  to  us  in  one  of  the  boats.  There  were  enthusiastic 
greetings  between  those  in  the  boat  and  their  friends  on 
the  ship. 

The  little  row  of  houses  built  on  a  cleft,  so  to  speak, 
in  the  side  of  the  rugged  mountains  that  border  St.  John 
Bay  is  known  among  Argentine  seamen  as  the  "  Sub- 
Prefectura  del  Puerto  San  Juan  del  Salvamiento."  It 
was  established  late  in  the  Antarctic  summer  of  1884.  It 
should  be  kept  in  mind  that  the  chief  object  of  creating 
a  Government  post  on  Staten  Island  was  for  the  support 
of  a  light-house  to  guide  ships  bound  around  the  Horn, 
but  a  secondary  consideration  was  the  providing  of  a 
place  of  refuge  with  a  depot  of  provisions  for  the  crew 
of  any  ship  so  unfortunate  as  to  be  wrecked  thereabouts. 
It  was  estimated  that  from  seven  hundred  to  one  thou- 
sand ships  of  various  nationalities  pass  within  sight  of 
Staten  Island  every  year,  and  that  before  this  light  was 
established  about  one  in  a  hundred  was  wrecked  there. 
These  estimates  were  wrong,  but  they  had  the  effect  of 
establishing  the  station. 

In  the  United  States  the  crew  of  a  first-class  lighthouse 


144         THE   GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORN. 

consists  of  three  men.  That  of  a  life-saving  station  con- 
sists of  a  coxswain  and  not  less  than  six  men.  To  man 
the  third-class  light-house  on  Staten  Island  four  men 
were  provided,  while  in  addition  to  the  coxswain  and 
crew  of  a  life-boat  there  was  a  naval  officer  of  the  rank 
of  a  lieutenant,  known  as  the  prefect ;  a  second  in  com- 
mand of  a  lower  rank,  a  secretary  to  the  prefect,  a  valet, 
a  cook,  a  baker,  and  a  file  of  soldiers. 

Having  learned  this  much  while  on  the  ship,  it  was 
with  a  great  deal  of  curiosity  that  I  climbed  from  the 
boat  to  the  pier  and  walked  ashore. 

The  foot  of  the  bluff  had  been  terraced  with  spiles  to 
keep  the  seas  from  washing  out  the  soil  there,  and  it  was 
said  that  a  northeast  gale  sent  an  ugly  swell  into  that 
part  of  the  bay  in  spite  of  the  shelter  of  the  point  on 
which  I  had  seen  the  pavilion.  Under  such  circum- 
stances, the  only  perfectly  safe  anchorage  for  a  vessel 
was  further  up  the  fiord  around  a  bend.  Although  the 
Ushuaia  seemed  to  be  anchored  in  a  bowl-shaped  bay, 
there  was  really  a  passage  through  what  seemed  to  be 
the  western  wall  of  the  bowl,  and  a  plan  of  the  whole 
fiord  as  laid  down  on  the  chart  was  really  of  the  shape 
of  a  sock. 

The  stairway  up  from  the  pier  had  a  railway  of  wooden 
timbers,  with  a  winch  at  the  top  designed  for  hauling  up 
and  lowering  the  boats,  but  it  seems  never  to  have  been 
used.  At  the  head  of  the  stairs  was  a  bell  that  had  been 
taken  from  the  English  ship  Guy  Mannering  that  ran 
into  the  rocks  not  far  away  during  a  fog  in  1892.  From 
the  stairs  we  went  to  the  Governor's  house.  The  Gov- 
ernor was  at  home  in  Buenos  Ayres  on  a  vacation,  but 
his  assistant,  with  the  secretary,  did  the  honors.  They 
had  a  very  good  quality  of  brandy,  and  very  good  wine, 


ST  A  TEN  ISLAND  OF  THE  FAR  SOUTH.        145 

also.  The  house  was  built  of  planed  pine.  It  was  some- 
what in  the  form  of  a  right-angled  U,  open  toward  the 
fiord.  The  house  was  ceiled  instead  of  plastered,  and 
was  plainly  but  comfortably  furnished.  That  is  to  say, 
it  was  comfortable  for  one  who  could  enjoy  that  climate 
unmodified  by  artificial  means.  To  a  citizen  of  the 
United  States  the  Governor's  house  was  lacking  in  the 
one  thing  most  necessary  for  comfort  in  a  climate  where 
cold  and  stormy  weather  is  the  rule  and  the  thermometer 
never  goes  above  12°  centigrade.  There  was  no  heating 
stove  in  it.  With  the  exception  of  the  cook,  the  baker, 
and  one  sailor,  that  entire  crew  lived  day  and  night  in  a 
moist  atmosphere,  where  the  thermometer  ranged  from 
30°  to  40°  Fahrenheit  almost  every  day  in  the  year. 

From  the  Governor's  house  a  trail  led  along  the  moun- 
tain side,  across  a  roaring  brook,  with  waters  as  black  as 
those  in  an  Adirondack  stream,  and  off  over  the  crest  of 
the  promontory  that  half  closes  the  mouth  of  the  fiord. 
The  Governor  told  me  it  was  a  well-made  road,  and,  ex- 
cept for  a  ten-rod  strip  across  a  swamp,  it  was  paved 
with  stone.  In  the  swamp  there  was  a  stone  here  and 
there — almost  enough  to  enable  an  active  man  to  cross 
dry  shod.  For  the  last  thirty  yards  before  reaching  the 
end  of  the  promontory  the  trail  was  a  narrow  goat  path 
on  the  crest  of  a  precipice  one  hundred  feet  high,  facing 
the  sea.  With  the  mighty  waves  from  across  the  ocean 
thundering  against  the  foot  of  that  great  wall,  throwing 
their  spray  high  over  its  crest,  and  at  times  sweeping 
pebbles  from  the  pathway,  with  the  solid  water  rising  up 
as  if  to  grasp  the  wayfarer,  that  is  a  trail  of  which  one 
may  well  think  with  a  feeling  of  awe  as  well  as  of  delight. 

On  a  level  table  of  solid  rock  at  the  end  of  this  path 
stood  the  little  six-sided  pavilion  I  had  seen  from  the 


146         THE   GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORN. 

sea.  It  was  built  of  wood,  with  an  iron  roof,  and  the 
three  sides  toward  the  sea  were  filled  with  window  glass 
in  frames  that  could  be  removed.  Inside  the  pavilion 
and  facing  these  window  frames  stood  two  benches  like 
two  steps  of  a  stairway.  On  the  lower  bench  was  a  row 
of  three  locomotive  head-lights.  On  the  upper  were  two 
head-lights  with  a  ship's  anchor  light  (Fresnel  lens)  be- 
tween them.  The  little  pavilion  was  the  light-house  of 
St.  John's  Cape,  Staten  Island,  in  the  route  to  the  Horn. 

In  a  little  room  at  the  back  of  the  pavilion  were  the 
materials  for  keeping  the  lamps  clean  and  bright.  The 
place  seemed  to  be  well  kept.  A  small  wooden  shanty 
near  by  was  the  bunk-room  of  the  four  men  who  attended 
to  the  lamps.  A  telephone  was  in  one  corner  of  the  pa- 
vilion, but  the  line  to  the  prefect's  house  was  out  of  order. 

Returning  to  the  little  settlement,  I  found  that  the 
bakery  was  a  log-house,  and  so  was  one  of  the  store- 
rooms. In  store  it  is  said  that  a  sufficient  supply  of  dry 
and  salt  provisions  for  six  months  is  kept. 

While  looking  about  the  buildings  one  of  the  sailors 
came  to  me,  and,  speaking  in  English,  said  he  had  heard 
I  was  from  New  York  city,  and  thereafter  for  ten  min- 
utes I  was  kept  busy  answering  questions  asked  with  the 
eagerness  of  one  who  has  a  great  longing  to  hear  from 
home.  By  and  by  he  was  willing  to  talk  of  himself, 
though  anxious  to  conceal  his  name,  "  because  I  do  not 
want  my  people  to  know  how  I  am  living.  They  would 
rather  I  was  dead  than  what  I  am."  He  had  been  the 
unruly  member  of  a  wealthy  German  family  in  New 
York,  and  had  a  great  desire  for  the  sea.  He  was  placed 
on  the  schoolship  St.  Marys,  and  in  the  spring  of  1883, 
when  almost  ready  to  graduate,  had  had  a  fight  with  one 
of  the  ship's  naval  officers,  after  which  he  jumped  over- 


STATEN  ISLAND  OF  THE  FAR  SOUTH.        147 

board,  swam  ashore,  and  later  shipped  on  the  Yankee 
war  ship  Nipsic,  which  some  time  later  sailed  to  Buenos 
Ayres.  There  he  deserted  her,  and,  having  picked  up  a 
little  Spanish,  shipped  in  the  Argentine  navy  as  a  full- 
fledged  seaman,  the  navy  department  there  preferring 
men  who  could  speak  English.  He  was  afterward  sent 
to  Tierra  del  Fuego  to  man  one  of  the  stations  established 
there  in  1884.  Then  he  went  back  to  Buenos  Ayres, 
where  he  readily  got  employment  in  a  mercantile  house 
because  he  spoke  two  languages,  besides  Spanish,  fluently. 
He  lost  his  job  through  dissipation  after  a  while,  and 
then  drifted  back  to  the  navy.  Once  more  he  went  to 
Tierra  del  Fuego,  and  there  picked  up  a  good-looking 
young  squaw  for  a  companion.  When  transferred  to 
Staten  Island  he  was  allowed  to  take  her  along.  I  vis- 
ited the  strange  couple  in  their  home.  It  was  a  house 
8x10  feet  in  size  and  7  feet  high.  The  frame  was  wood, 
and  the  covering  sheet-iron.  It  had  no  ceiling  of  any 
kind.  The  furniture  consisted  of  a  bed,  a  chair,  a  table, 
a  packing  case,  a  couple  of  chests,  and  a  heating  stove 
for  burning  wood.  And  that  was  the  only  stove  of  that 
kind  I  saw  south  of  Buenos  Ayres. 

The  young  man  was  an  excellent  penman,  and  so  had 
what  he  called  a  soft  snap.  He  kept  the  books  and  did 
the  writing  generally  of  the  station,  while  the  other  mem- 
bers of  the  crew  of  his  rank  had  such  hard  work  to  do 
as  the  station  required.  I  asked  him  if  he  was  ever 
homesick,  and  he  said  he  was  not,  except  when  he  hap- 
pened to  meet  a  Yankee,  and  that  had  not  happened  be- 
fore since  leaving  Buenos  Ayres.  He  was  receiving  $30 
paper  (say  $7.50  gold)  a  month,  with  rations  and  clothing 
for  himself  and  squaw.  The  squaw  took  good  care  of 
him,  and  did  laundry  work  besides  for  the  officers. 


148         THE    GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORN. 

"  I  do  not  care  for  what  you  call  civilization,"  he  said. 
"  I  have  everything  I  want  that  is  within  the  reach  of  a 
poor  man  anywhere.  I  am  very  much  better  off  than 
the  workingmen  in  New  York.  Why  should  I  not  be 
contented  ?  If  I  ever  make  a  pile  I  '11  go  back,  of  course. 
I  may  take  Cheenah  there  sometime,  anyway,  if  I  can  do 
it  without  being  recognized.  She  wants  to  go  and  I 
want  to  please  her.  But  if  I  don't  strike  it  rich,  what  do 
I  care  ?  " 

I  have  given  this  much  space  to  the  young  man,  be- 
cause it  is  the  true  story  of  a  boy  who  ran  away  to  sea, 
and  so  will  be  of  interest  to  other  boys  who  would  like 
to  run  away  as  he  did. 

A  tour  afoot  over  the  island  would  be  interesting, 
though  a  journey  of  great  hardship.  The  coast  line  is 
but  a  series  of  fiords  and  bays.  Behind  New  Year's 
Island,  on  the  north  side,  is  a  bay  that  sets  in  almost  to 
the  centre  of  the  island.  Another  from  the  south  comes 
almost  to  meet  it,  the  waters  being  separated  by  a  low 
neck  of  sand,  say  300  steps  across.  The  traveller  can 
find  here  the  wreck  of  an  old  tramway  by  which  the 
Yankee  sealers,  say  fifteen  years  ago,  used  to  run  their 
whaleboats  from  one  water  to  the  other.  It  is  certain 
that  this  neck  of  sand  did  not  always  exist.  The  scien- 
tists say  that  Staten  Island  is  rising  rapidly — that  some 
of  the  bays  now  too  shoal  for  a  ship  to  enter  afforded 
good  harbors  in  the  days  when  the  discoverers  of  the 
region  were  beating  to  and  fro.  However,  these  two  bays 
are  still  fair  harbors,  and  the  sealing  crews  used  them 
every  year.  One  finds  old  kettles  and  vats  used  for  try- 
ing out  the  oil  of  the  hair  seal  and  the  sea  lion,  as  well  as 
of  the  whales  that  were  once  numerous.  There  is  also  an 
old  shanty  that  would  be  useful  still  to  any  crew  so  un- 


STATEN  ISLAND  OF  THE  FAR  SOUTH.        I49 

fortunate  as  to  be  wrecked  there.  A  couple  of  gold- 
hunters,  who  worked  the  sand  on  New  Year's  Island  with 
success  in  1S93,  used  the  old  shanty  as  headquarters.  A 
whale  may  be  seen  about  the  island  now  and  then  in 
these  days.  So,  too,  may  a  few  seals  and  sea  lions,  but 
there  are  not  enough  to  pay  working  as  yet,  although  the 
hunt  was  abandoned  there  some  years  ago,  and  the  game 
is  slowly  increasing. 

To  travel  along  the  beach  of  the  island  is  impossible, 
save  for  short  stretches.  The  sea  breaks  against  the 
almost  vertical  cliffs  for  the  greater  part  of  the  way.  The 
way  over  the  mountains  has  been  attempted  occasionally. 
Singular  as  it  may  seem  to  one  who  sees  the  rounded 
contour  of  these  mountains — a  contour  which  one  thinks 
would  give  a  perfect  drainage — the  chief  obstacle  to  a 
tramp  overland  is  the  long  succession  of  bogs  and  swamps. 
There  are  bogs  that  are  impassable  to  a  man  without 
snow-shoes,  which  lie  at  an  angle  of  thirty  degrees  with 
the  horizon,  if  one  may  believe  the  crew  of  the  St.  John 
station.  The  bogs  are  masses  of  moss,  roots,  and  rotten 
vegetation  that  hold  water  like  a  sponge,  and  yield  under 
the  foot  as  slushy  snow  would  do.  Where  the  bogs  are 
not  found  there  are  wide  breadths  of  forests,  and  very 
interesting  as  well  as  impassable  forests  they  are.  At  the 
sea  level  the  trees  may  be  from  thirty  to  forty  feet  high, 
with  slender  trunks  and  flat,  thick,  interlaced  tops.  As 
one  works  his  way  up  the  mountain  the  trees  are  found 
to  be  smaller,  but  standing  closer  together  and  having 
the  tops  more  closely  interlaced,  until  at  last,  with  a  for- 
est three  or  four  feet  high,  one  can  almost  walk  on  the 
flattened  tops  of  the  trees — one  could  so  walk  with  the 
aid  of  Norwegian  skees. 

Since  the  fur  and  oil  industry  was  destroyed,  Staten 


ISO         THE    GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORN. 

Island  has  produced  nothing  for  export.  That  some  part 
of  the  island  could  be  devoted  to  sheep-raising  there  is 
little  doubt.  The  Falklands,  where  M.  Bougainville 
vainly  endeavored  to  plant  a  French  colony,  now  support 
about  2500  people,  who  are  all  well  to  do  through  raising 
sheep.  The  centre  of  Staten  Island  has  the  best  climate, 
and,  according  to  those  who  have  climbed  about  the 
region,  a  ranch  properly  located  would  make  its  owner 
rich.  An  advantage  which  Staten  Island  has  over  the 
Falklands  is  in  the  supply  of  wood,  but  this,  on  the  other 
hand,  would  compel  the  building  of  fences  to  keep  the 
sheep  out  of  the  brush.  Besides,  there  is  so  much  good 
land  for  sheep  in  Tierra  del  Fuego  yet  unoccupied,  that 
no  one  is  likely  to  try  to  develop  such  resources  as  Staten 
Island  may  have  for  many  years  to  come,  unless,  indeed, 
some  one  be  found  bold  enough  to  brave  the  certain 
dangers  of  the  seas  for  the  sake  of  the  gold  on  New 
Year's  Island. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

THE    NOMADS    OF    PATAGONIA. 

T^HE  Story  of  the  nomads  of  Patagonia  living  east  of 
*•  the  Andes — the  Tehuelche  Indians, — is,  on  the 
whole,  more  cheerful  reading  than  that  of  either  of  the 
other  tribes  of  the  region.  For  over  350  years  after  they 
were  discovered  by  white  men  they  maintained  an  un- 
disputed sway  over  their  desert  territory.  They  were 
visited  by  missionaries,  but  were  never  brought  into  the 
enervating  subjection  to  them  that  ruined  the  Yahgan. 
They  were  physically  and  mentally  a  noble  race  of 
aborigines,  and  when  at  last  they  went  down  before  a 
merciless  civilization,  they  fell,  man  fashion,  face  to  the 
enemy. 

Brief  space  will  suffice  here  for  a  resum6  of  what  his- 
tory tells  of  them.  It  was  on  April  i,  1520,  when  they 
first  saw  "  men  with  faces  like  the  snow."  Magellan  had 
happened  into  St.  Julian  harbor.  They  came  with  won- 
der to  see  marvellous  vessels  that  brought  him,  and  it  is 
said  that  they  tell  around  their  camp-fires  to  this  day  of 
the  trick  by  which  he  succeeded  in  loading  two  of  their 
chiefs  with  chains  that  he  might  carry  them  away 
forever. 

The  Tehuelches  were  afoot,  then,  but  it  was  not  many 
151 


152         THE    GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORN. 

years  before  horses  from  the  Spanish  settlement  at 
Buenos  Ayres  had  spread  to  the  Strait  of  Magellan,  and 
so  the  explorers  of  the  seventeenth  and  eighteenth  cen- 
turies found  them  mounted.  They  were  not  a  vicious 
race  ;  on  the  contrary,  they  were  of  kindly  diposition, 
and  even  playful  when  well  treated,  though  their  experi- 
ences with  the  whites  eventually  taught  them  duplicity, 
theft,  and  outrage.  But  their  good  dispositions  did  not 
attract  white  settlers,  because  the  whole  of  Patagonia, 
east  of  the  Andes,  was  a  desert  that  seemed  wholly  in- 
capable of  supporting  a  civilized  being. 

However,  the  Jesuits  came  to  them  bringing  the  cross 
in  one  hand  and  apple-seeds  in  the  other.  The  cross  did 
not  flourish,  but  the  apple-seeds  planted  about  the  lakes 
in  Western  Patagonia  grew  into  a  great  forest,  that  has 
produced  abundance  of  fruit  and  much  strong  cider  ever 
since. 

Later  still,  at  the  end  of  the  eighteenth  century,  Spain 
attempted  to  establish  colonies  at  Rio  Negro,  Port  St. 
Julian,  and  Port  Desire.  They  did  some  little  trading, 
but  the  Indians  very  properly  mistrusted  the  good  faith 
of  the  whites,  and  in  1807  Patagonia  was  once  more 
abandoned  to  the  natives,  save  for  the  one  post  on  the 
Rio  Negro  known  as  Carmen  de  Patagones.  This  was 
maintained  partly  because  of  the  great  salt  fields  found 
on  the  desert  near  the  town.  But  the  terms  on  which  it 
remained  unmolested  by  the  lordly  Patagonians  were  ex- 
ceedingly humiliating  to  the  Spanish  rulers  of  Buenos 
Ayres  and  of  the  settlement.  The  whites  had  to  pay  an 
annual  tribute  of  cattle,  knife-blades,  indigo,  cochineal, 
and  other  goods  as  rental  for  the  Indian-owned  land  they 
occupied. 

We  read  in  the  history  of  the  State  of  New  York 


THE  NOMADS  OF  PA  TA  GONIA .  153 

that  in  the  days  before  the  Revolution,  the  brave  old 
Mohawks  used  to  send  a  warrior,  now  and  then,  alone 
among  the  Hudson  River  and  even  the  Long  Island 
tribes,  entering  this  or  that  village,  walking  in  the  midst 
of  a  group  of  the  head  men,  and  while  they  cowered  in 
his  presence,  addressing  them  as  squaws  and  denouncing 
them  for  this  and  that  failure  in  their  duty  to  the  noble 
tribe  he  represented.  In  like  manner,  even  until  within 
twenty-five  years  of  this  writing,  has  a  Tehuelche  chief 
from  the  desert  of  Patagonia  been  known  to  ride  alone 
down  the  main  street  of  Carmen  de  Patagones  to  the 
plaza.  Reining  in  his  horse  by  the  low-peaked  stone 
monument  still  to  be  seen  there,  he  would  shake  the  great 
skin  mantle  from  his  brawny  shoulders,  strike  the  butt  of 
his  spear  a  ringing  blow  on  the  pedestal  of  the  monu- 
ment to  call  the  whites  about  him,  and  then,  in  disdain- 
ful words  and  with  imperious  manner,  ask  why  the  tribute 
had  been  delayed.  All  of  this  the  whites  bore  meekly 
and  meanly.  They  could  not  fight  the  Indians  success- 
fully, and  they  were  willing  to  submit  to  such  treatment 
because  of  the  profit  in  the  trade  they  carried  on  with 
their  red  masters. 

If  any  one  wants  fully  to  appreciate  how  degrading 
trade  is  to  the  human  soul,  let  him  read  the  stories  of 
white  traders  among  red  buyers. 

In  modern  times — rather  in  the  nineteenth  century, 
two  efforts  to  convert  the  Patagonians  to  Christianity 
have  been  made,  one  of  which  is  of  especial  interest  to 
American  readers,  because  undertaken  by  a  citizen  of 
New  York  at  the  behest  of  the  American  Board  of  Chris- 
tian Missionaries  of  Boston.  One  Captain  Benjamin 
Morrell  had  been  on  a  sealing  voyage  along  the  Pata- 
gonia coast,  through  the  strait  and  up  the  Chili  coast, 


154         THE   GOLD  DIGGINGS    OF  CAPE  HORN. 

and  on  returning  had  brought  an  interesting  story  about 
the  aborigines.  The  story  was  printed  in  book-form  and 
the  missionary  society  people  read  the  book,  and  were 
thereby  led  to  send  out  a  couple  of  missionaries  to  look 
over  the  region  and  the  people  Morrell  had  described. 
Mr.  Titus  Coan,  then  a  student  at  the  Auburn  Theolog- 
ical Seminary,  and  a  Mr.  Arms  of  Andover  were  selected. 
A  sealing  schooner  took  them  to  the  Strait  of  Magellan, 
and  on  November  14,  1833,  at  the  beginning  of  the  warm 
season  there,  they  landed.  That  they  were  kindly  re- 
ceived and  well  treated  scarce  need  be  said.  They 
brought  a  tent  and  a  variety  of  articles,  which  were  of 
the  greatest  value  to  the  Indians,  but  they  were  never 
robbed.  On  the  contrary,  they  were  freely  supplied  with 
the  best  the  Indians  had.  In  return  the  missionaries  did 
some  work,  such  as  sharpening  knives,  making  wooden 
spurs,  etc.,  but,  on  the  whole,  the  missionaries  lived  on 
the  charity  of  the  Indians.  Their  experiences  and 
thoughts  have  been  preserved  in  a  book  entitled  Adven- 
tures in  Patagonia,  by  Titus  Coan.  They  travelled  about 
with  a  host  that  for  a  time  was  composed  of  Tehuelches 
or  Patagonians  proper,  and  of  Onas  who  had  come  over 
from  Tierra  del  Fuego.  They  had  to  live  on  such  food 
as  the  country  supplied,  of  course,  and  to  endure  the 
vicissitudes  of  the  climate. 

They  remained  only  a  few  days  more  than  two  months, 
leaving  the  region  in  a  sealing  schooner  on  January  25, 
1834.  They  had  had  enough  of  life  with  a  nomadic  race 
on  a  stormy  desert  like  Patagonia.  Horseflesh  was  not 
suited  to  their  stomachs  nor  tent  life  to  their  inclinations. 
The  Indians  had  told  them  plainly  that  no  missionary 
could  succeed  who  would  not  live  Indian  fashion,  and 
that  settled  it.     Of  course  these  Patagonians  had  souls. 


THE  NOMADS  OF  PA  TA  GONIA.  1  5  5 

Mr.  Coan  was  sure  those  souls  were  going  to  be  lost — 
absolutely  sure  of  it,  unless,  indeed,  some  one  taught 
them  "  the  way  of  life."  But  there  were  souls  elsewhere 
in  the  world  that  needed  saving,  too — among  the  South 
Sea  islands,  for  instance,  where  snow  was  unknown,  and 
horseflesh  was  not  esteemed  a  dainty.  It  would  be  much 
more  comfortable  to  convert  wicked  South  Sea  Islanders 
than  Patagonians. 

As  was  said,  for  360  years  after  Magellan's  infamous 
disregard  of  the  rights  of  man,  the  Indians  of  Patagonia 
in  their  conflicts  with  white  aggressors  held  their  own. 
It  was  a  pity  in  the  eyes  of  a  humanitarian  that  there 
should  have  been  conflicts,  for  all  were  utterly  needless, 
but,  on  the  whole,  the  Patagonia  day  was  bright. 

Then  came  the  setting  of  the  sun.  The  day  of  all  the 
Patagonian  Indians  was  ended.  The  "  progress  of  civiliz- 
ation "  demanded  the  extermination  of  the  desert  races. 
The  pressure  of  Christian  owners  of  cattle  and  sheep  for 
new  pastures  demanded  that  the  best  of  the  hunting 
grounds  of  the  Indians  be  taken.  The  frontier  of  settle- 
ments in  Argentine  had  to  be  extended  to  the  Rio  Negro 
because  cattlemen  wanted  the  land,  and  the  cheapest 
way  to  make  the  extension  was  by  war.  In  these  mat- 
ters the  civilized  people  of  the  Argentine  have  been  as 
much  like  the  civilized  people  of  the  United  States  as 
two  bullets  from  one  mould. 

This  war  of  extermination  cannot  be  described  here, 
but  one  feature  of  it  may  serve  to  give  the  reader  some 
idea  about  its  general  characteristics. 

It  was  not  uncommon  for  the  soldiers  to  take  a  stal- 
wart Indian  prisoner,  and  after  tying  him  so  that  his 
struggles  would  be  unavailing,  to  cut  his  throat  slowly 
with  a  dull  knife. 


156         THE   GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORN. 

"  I  have  often  seen  them  haggle  away  at  a  Tehuelche 
throat — haggle  and  saw,  while  he  writhed  and  begged  for 
the  stroke  of  grace,  for  full  five  minutes  before  the  artery- 
was  severed  and  his  life-blood  made  to  spurt  out  on  the 
sand.  And  while  they  tortured  each  victim  thus,  they 
would  turn  to  any  one  not  of  their  nationality  and  say, 
by  way  of  apology  for  their  cruelty  : 

"  '  He  is  no  Christian.'  " 

So  said  a  German  to  me  in  Buenos  Ayres,  a  man  who 
had  been  with  both  of  Roca's  expeditions,  and  of  whose 
veracity  there  need  be  no  doubt  whatever. 

Shocking  as  was  the  cruelty  meted  out  to  the  Indians, 
only  the  sight  of  it  could  stir  the  indignation  of  the 
spectator  more  than  the  excuse  for  it  which  the  soldiers 
gave — "  he  's  no  Christian."  And  yet,  before  the  reader's 
feelings  lead  him  to  a  bitter  condemnation  of  the  sol- 
diers, let  it  be  remembered  that,  according  to  the  ortho- 
dox religious  teachings  in  these  United  States  of  North 
America,  there  were  in  the  air,  about  each  group  of  those 
Argentine  soldiers,  numbers  of  evil  spirits  watching  the 
torture  of  each  unfortunate  Indian — watching  with 
eager  malice  the  moment  when  the  Indian's  soul  should 
be  released,  that  they  might  bear  it  away  to  the  realm 
"where  the  worm  dieth  not  and  the  fire  is  not  quenched." 
The  soldiers  tortured  for  five  minutes,  but  these  devils 
will  torment  each  Tehuelche  soul  for  all  eternity.  And, 
what  is  more,  could  the  reader  enter  the  precincts  of  the 
unfortunates  and  ask  why  the  soul  was  tortured,  he 
would  get,  word  for  word,  the  very  excuse  the  Argentine 
soldiers  gave  : 

"  He  is  no  Christian." 

The  home  region  of  the  Tehuelche  is  a  section  of  the 
bottom  of  the  South  Atlantic  Ocean  lifted  up  where  man 


THE  NOMADS  OF  PA  TA GONIA .  I  $7 

can  see  it.  There  are  salt  lakes  and  beds  of  salts,  left 
there  when  the  sea-water  was  for  the  most  part  drained 
away.  There  are  traces  of  ocean  salts  everywhere.  It 
is  an  alluvial  region  ;  a  well-driller  would  find  many 
layers  of  sand,  gravel,  clays,  etc.,  but  no  rock  beds,  save 
in  a  few  places  where  volcanoes  bubbled  up,  nobody 
knows  when.  The  only  volcanic  rocks  the  traveller 
alongshore  will  see,  however,  are  at  Port  Desire  and 
south  of  the  Rio  Gallegos.  At  Port  Desire  the  bluffs 
on  the  north  shore  are  volcanic,  while  some  leagues  south 
of  Gallegos  is  a  range  of  volcanic  peaks  that  show  con- 
spicuously above  the  plain.  Elsewhere  the  traveller 
sees  only  a  desert  that  is  for  the  most  part  level,  but  has 
been  worn  into  gulches  along  such  streams  as  exist  and 
shows,  as  one  travels  inland,  a  terrace-like  formation. 
It  is  an  arid  desert  for  the  most  part,  "  but  springs  and 
fresh-water  streams  can  be  found  every  hundred  miles 
or  so.  You  will  rarely  have  to  pass  more  than  one  night 
without  water  if  you  journey  from  Punta  Arenas  to 
Buenos  Ayres,"  as  an  official  at  Santa  Cruz  said. 

But  inhospitable  as  the  desert  seems  to  be,  it  has 
afforded  during  the  knowledge  of  man  subsistence  for 
herds  of  guanacos  and  flocks  of  ostriches,  probably  the 
only  beings  that  survived  all  the  changes  in  the  region 
since  the  days  when  monkeys,  parrots,  kangaroos,  and 
elephants  abounded  in  the  unsubmerged  parts.  The 
desert  seems  to  have  been  peculiarly  well  adapted  to 
guanacos  and  ostriches,  and  the  flesh  of  these  with  dan- 
delions, bunch  grass-seed,  fungi,  etc.,  seems  to  have  been 
peculiarly  well  adapted  to  sustain  a  race  of  men  that 
were  physically  magnificent.  An  official  at  Punta  Are- 
nas told  me  that  the  measurements  of  one  hundred 
Tehuelche  men,  taking  them  as  they  came  to  the  settle- 


158         THE    GOLD   DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORN. 

ment,  gave  an  average  height  of  over  five  feet  ten  inches. 
AVhen  it  is  considered  that  some  of  these  were  half 
bloods,  or  men  having  had  Argentine  and  Chilian  fathers, 
the  average  indicates  a  great  race.  The  missionary, 
Titus  Coan,  found  a  noticeable  number  of  men  six  feet 
six  inches  tall  in  his  day.  Rarely,  if  at  all,  will  such  a 
one  be  found  now,  but  the  gauchos  and  others  with 
whom  I  talked  assured  me  that  men  of  six  feet  three 
and  four  inches  were  quite  common.  Patagonia  has 
always  been  a  region  favorable  for  developing  the  human 
frame,  and  in  the  days  when  the  Tehuelches  were  horse- 
less, and  so  had  to  outrun  afoot,  the  ostrich  and  guanaco, 
there  were  giants  beyond  doubt  among  the  race  that 
averaged  the  tallest  on  earth.  Their  frames  were  not 
only  large,  but  their  strength  was  prodigious.  A  man  in 
health  could  really  drag  a  balky  horse  across  the  desert. 
By  the  Indian  standard  they  were  a  handsome  race. 
The  men  showed  intelligent,  vigorous  minds  in  their 
faces.  Their  foreheads  were  high,  their  noses  of  the 
Roman  type,  the  nostrils  not  unduly  expanded.  Their 
teeth  were  simply  perfect  ;  so  were  their  eyes.  Those  I 
saw  in  the  settlements  showed  a  heavy,  stolid  expression, 
but  the  gauchos  said  that  look  was  not  a  good  indica- 
tion of  their  character  ;  that  when  in  their  desert  wilds 
the  men  as  well  as  the  women  were  a  merry-faced, 
laughing  lot.  The  young  folks  are  everywhere  bright- 
faced  and  of  cheerful  dispositions.  The  young  women 
are  said  to  be  particularly  attractive,  having  very  light 
skins  for  Indians,  beautiful  limbs,  firm  and  well-rounded 
breasts,  heads  poised  like  young  queens,  and  faces  that 
show  a  mingling  of  modesty  and  coquetry  quite  impos- 
sible to  describe  or  catch  with  a  camera,  but  neverthe- 
less within  the  appreciation  of  even  a  blase  beholder. 


"1 


rife-*^"* 


A  TEHUELCHE  SQUAW. 


THE  NOMADS  OF  PA  TAGONIA.  1 59 

Like  many  of  their  white  cousins,  the  Tehuelche  girls 
continually  chew  gum — tlie  exuded  and  hardened  juice 
of  the  incense  bush  that  abounds  on  the  desert.  So, 
too,  do  the  Tehuelche  men,  for  that  matter,  and  they 
say  it  preserves  the  teeth.  Certainly  no  people  have 
finer  teeth  than  the  Tehuelches. 

It  is  impossible  to  give  anything  like  an  accurate  esti- 
mate of  the  number  of  red  inhabitants  of  Patagonia^ 
either  now  or  at  any  period  since  the  days  of  Magellan. 
The  Rev.  Titus  Coan  thought  the  Tehuelche  tribe  num- 
bered looo  in  1833.  Don  Ramon  Lista,  an  Argentine 
writer  and  explorer  of  good  repute,  says  that  when  he 
was  among  them  just  before  the  war  of  extermination 
they  numbered  500  warriors,  or  nearly  3000  souls  all 
told.  There  are  now  a  few  at  Coy  Inlet,  a  few  hanging 
about  each  settlement,  and  a  few  along  the  Andes — per- 
haps 500  all  told,  according  to  the  gauchos. 

For  an  estimate  of  the  Tehuelche  mental  calibre  we 
can  readily  resort  to  their  mythology,  fables  and  prov- 
erbs of  which,  fortunately  for  ethnologists,  a  number 
have  been  preserved.  The  scientific  world  is  especially 
indebted  to  Don  Ramon  Lista,  who  was  careful,  when 
among  the  Tehuelches,  to  collect  as  much  of  what  may 
be  called  their  literature  as  possible.  As  examples,  here 
are  two  Tehuelche  fables  : 

THE    FATE    OF    THE    BOASTER. 

A  fox  challenged  a  stone  to  run  a  race.  The  stone 
begged  to  be  excused. 

"  Let  us  run  down  the  slope  of  this  hill,"  insisted  the 
fox. 

"  I  am  very  sorry,  but  you  had  better  keep  out  of  my 
way." 


l6o         THE   GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORN. 

"  You  think  to  overtake  me  ?  What  foolishness  !  I 
run  like  the  wind," 

"  We  will  run,"  said  the  stone. 

The  fox  darted  away  like  an  arrow.  The  stone  began 
to  roll,  and  then  to  jump  and  to  jump,  until  it  wounded 
to  death  its  rival  just  as  he  was  arriving  at  the  foot  of  the 
hill. 

THE    REWARD    OF    A    DESIRE    FOR    VAIN    DISPLAY. 

A  panther  met  a  fox  wearing  a  crown  tuft. 

"  What  a  beautiful  ornament  you  wear  !  How  did  you 
make  it  ?  "  said  the  panther. 

"  Very  easily,"  said  the  fox.  "  I  cut  open  the  head 
with  a  flint,  and  then  introduced  into  the  wound  the 
beautiful  plumes  of  an  ostrich." 

"  How  admirable  !  I  wish  to  go  through  the  same 
process.     Would  you  take  the  trouble  to  do  it  for  me  ?  " 

"  With  a  thousand  pleasures." 

And  the  fox  rasped  the  head  of  the  panther  till  the 
skull  got  thin,  and  then  broke  it  in  with  one  stroke  of 
the  flint. 

So  the  panther  died. 

Here  are  three  proverbs  : 

The  dog  follows  the  fox  and  kills  it,  but  then  comes 
the  panther  and  kills  the  dog. 

Nothing  spurious  can  be  good. 

The  little  feather  flies  more  swiftly  than  the  great  one. 

In  his  religious  beliefs  the  Tehuelche  is  as  interesting 
as  in  other  matters.  There  is  one  good  god  and  from 
him  all  good  things  come.  He  is  so  good  and  kind  that 
he  is  never  offended.  He  does  not  require  worship  from 
the  Indians,  but  according  to  the  gauchos  they  have  a 


THE  NOMA  DS  OF  PA  TA  GO  NT  A .  1 6 1 

ceremony  of  thanksgiving  peculiarly  interesting.  In  the 
early  summer,  when  the  young  of  the  guanaco  and  the 
ostrich  are  numerous  and  easy  to  take,  ostrich  eggs  still 
to  be  had  and  pasture  is  at  its  best,  the  Tehuelche  cacique 
gathers  his  clan  and  decrees  an  offering  to  the  good  god. 
Thereat  a  young  mare  is  lassoed,  brought  to  a  convenient 
spot,  and  there  thrown  down  and  secured  on  her  back  so 
that  she  cannot  thrash  around  with  her  hoofs.  Then  all 
the  people  gather  around  while  the  man  who  is  handiest 
with  a  knife  draws  his  keenest  blade,  slashes  open  the 
breast  of  the  mare,  cuts  out  the  heart,  and  holds  it,  still 
quivering,  up  in  the  presence  of  all,  that  it  may  become 
the  offering  by  all  of  a  living  heart  to  the  god  to  whom 
they  give  thanks. 

They  believe  in  evil  spirits  and  there  are  medicine 
men  and  medicine  women  among  them.  Curiously 
enough,  the  medicine  women  are  commonly  young  and 
the  handsomest  of  their  clans.  These  medicine  mixers 
drive  away  evil  spirits  by  incantations,  but  if  the  ordinary 
medicine  fails,  then  all  the  men  assemble,  and,  mounting 
their  horses,  ride  furiously  around  the  camp,  firing  guns 
into  the  air  and  waving  their  war-like  implements  about 
their  heads.  Apparently  here  is  a  field  in  which  the 
Salvation  Army  missionaries  would  be  very  successful. 
The  home  of  the  soul  after  death  is  in  the  sky — some- 
where in  the  blue  vault  they  see  by  day,  and  the  road  to 
it  lies  by  the  way  of  the  glories  of  the  west  at  sunset.  Of 
old  they  used  to  burn  all  the  effects  of  the  deceased  that 
he  might  have  them  in  the  other  world,  but  now  a  small 
outfit  of  horses  and  dogs  is  sufficient. 

With  them  the  witch  and  the  sorcerer  are  stern 
realities,  but  the  Tehuelches  never  torture  their  supposed 
witches  to   death.     The  desert  air  never  trembles  with 


l62  THE   GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORM. 

the  moans  of  old  women  whose  misfortune  it  is  to  be 
sullen  or  insane.  But  when  one  cuts  his  hair  or  trims 
his  finger  nails  the  clippings  are  carefully  burned.  So, 
too,  are  all  effects  left  behind  when  moving  the  wigwams. 
The  witch  is  supposed  to  obtain  a  devilish  power  over 
any  one  when  she  can  get  hold  of  any  such  part  of 
him. 

In  dreams — "  when  the  heart  sleeps,  the  mind  sees  a 
glimmer  of  the  things  to  come,"  they  say. 

In  music  the  Tehuelche  is  not  much  of  an  artist.  The 
skin  of  a  guanaco  stretched  over  a  hoop  or  bowl  makes  a 
drum.  The  bone  of  an  ostrich  leg,  with  holes  cut  into 
it,  makes  a  sort  of  flute,  which  in  turn  is  used  to  make 
the  sinew  cord  of  a  bow  to  vibrate  with  a  tum-tum 
noise. 

The  Tehuelche  year  begins  in  September,  and  the 
lapse  of  it  is  noted  by  the  position  of  Orion.  The  four 
seasons  are  known  as  the  fat  time,  or  the  fall ;  the  cold 
time,  the  season  of  new  grass,  and  the  season  of  ostrich 
eggs.  The  moon  measures  the  months,  and  one  word 
serves  for  the  name  of  the  day  and  the  sun. 

In  his  astronomy  the  Tehuelche  has  named  the 
Southern  Cross  the  track  of  the  ostrich,  and  therein  has 
shown  himself  superior  to  the  whites  in  at  least  one 
matter.  The  milky-way  is  the  path  of  the  guanaco,  and 
the  clouds  of  Magellan  are  the  guanaco  wallowing  places, 
while  Mars  is  the  carancho,  a  conspicuous,  eagle-like 
vulture  common  on  the  desert. 

Following  the  tendencies  of  the  age,  the  Tehuelches 
have  become  republicans.  There  are  chiefs  now,  but 
in  the  old  days  the  chief  was  a  deal  more  of  a  ruler  than 
now.  In  these  days  the  chief  is  to  the  clan  what  the 
ablest  and  most  experienced  of  a  party  of  hunters  in  the 


THE  NOMADS  OF  PA  TAGONIA.  1 63 

Adirondacks  is  to  his  associates.  He  knows  the  woods 
and  woodcraft  better  than  the  rest,  and  the  rest  therefore 
listen  to  his  advice.  In  the  quarrels  over  trivial  matters 
in  camp  the  head  man  will  often  serve  as  peacemaker, 
because  where  a  quarrel  spreads  a  division  of  the  clan 
follows,  and  the  chances  of  success  in  hunting  are  greatly- 
diminished.  It  takes  a  good  many  people  to  draw  a 
circle  around  a  bunch  of  guanacos  in  an  open  desert. 

The  marriage  ceremony  begins  with  an  exchange  of 
presents  between  the  bridegroom  and  the  girl's  parents. 
Then  a  small  tent  is  erected  for  the  young  couple  and 
they  are  placed  in  it  until  night,  when  all  the  people 
gather  around  as  big  a  fire  as  they  can  make  near  the 
tent.  As  the  fire  burns  up  at  its  brightest  the  males,  be- 
ginning with  the  chiefs  and  ending  with  the  boys,  dance, 
in  sets  of  four,  while  the  squaws  look  on  critically.  The 
dress  of  the  dancers  includes  a  breech  clout,  a  sash  about 
the  shoulders,  and  two  feathers  in  the  hair.  The  divorce 
ceremony  consists  in  leading  the  woman  back  to  the  tent 
of  her  relatives,  a  ceremony  rarely  known,  however.  As 
the  head  of  a  family,  the  Tehuelche  is  kind  and  consider- 
ate to  the  woman  and  very  affectionate  to  the  children. 
They  pet  and  fondle  and  kiss  each  other  and  use  words 
of  endearment.  Sometimes  they  quarrel  in  the  family, 
of  course.  There  are  white  men  a  plenty — even  Ameri- 
cans, alas,  who  beat  their  wives.  So  there  are  Tehuel- 
ches  who  do  so. 

On  the  other  hand,  although  the  story  of  it  may  seem 
like  a  fable  to  the  reader,  the  truth  is,  that  hen-pecked 
husbands  are  found  in  as  great  proportion  among  the 
Tehuelches  as  among  the  whites.  But,  on  the  whole,  it  is 
agreed  by  all  who  know  the  Tehuelches  that  in  their 
homes  they  are  the  happiest  people  imaginable. 


164         THE   GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORN. 
A    CIDER    FESTIVAL. 

The  one  vice — rather  the  root  of  all  evil — among  the 
Tehuelches  is  the  love  of  liquor.  Robes,  weapons,  horses, 
daughters,  and  wives  will  all  be  exchanged  for  rum,  and 
there  are  traders  crossing  the  desert  every  day  of  the  year 
seeking  out  their  camps  to  sell  the  stuff  to  them.  Then, 
too,  there  are  apple  orchards  on  Lake  Nehuel-Huapi. 
In  the  season  great  festivals  are  held  at  the  orchards. 
Then  the  apples  are  made  into  cider  in  skin-lined  pits, 
and  the  fermented  stuff  is  consumed  in  vast  quantities. 
The  Tehuelche,  when  drunk,  becomes  quarrelsome,  and 
murders  are  then  common,  although  the  squaws  hide  all 
weapons  before  a  festival  begins. 

The  weapons  of  the  Tehuelche  are  like  those  of  the 
gaucho — lassoes,  bolas,  and  knives.  They  also  make  bows 
and  arrows,  spears  and  what  the  gauchos  call  "  the  lost 
bola."  The  lost  bola  is  simply  a  stone  of  convenient 
weight  at  the  end  of  a  three-foot  cord.  It  is  intended  for 
battles  only,  and  is  called  lost  bola  because  when  thrown 
it  is  not  usually  recovered  again.  The  effective  range  of 
this  lost  bola  is  ordinarily  100  yards,  and  in  some  hands 
twice  that.  Iron  bolas  are  the  favorites,  because  being 
smaller  for  the  weight  they  have  a  longer  range,  and  be- 
cause, too,  they  are  more  easily  seen  and  recovered  after 
a  cast  across  the  dull-colored  desert  than  pebbles  are. 
The  Tehuelches  carry  guns  and  pistols  to  some  extent, 
but  chiefly  for  use  against  the  spirits. 

Because  of  his  use  of  the  bola  the  Tehuelche  is,  in  a 
sense,  a  sportsman  as  distinguished  from  a  pot  hunter. 
The  game  has  a  running  chance  for  life.  However,  the 
usual  way  of  capturing  game  is  for  the  men  to  draw  a 
circle  about  a  bunch  of  guanacos  when  pumas  and  os- 


THE  NOMADS  OF  PA  7'AGOJVIA.  1 65 

triches  are  often  enclosed  and  killed.  When  on  the  march 
the  women  with  the  pack  train  serve  as  a  part  of  the  en- 
closing circle. 

The  tent  of  the  Tehuelche  is  a  large  affair.  It  is  what 
would  be  called  in  this  country  a  shelter  tent,  or  a  lean-to 
open  in  front.  It  is  of  rounded  exterior,  like  the  fourth 
part  of  an  orange.  It  has  a  frame  of  forks  and  ridge- 
poles, and  is  covered  with  guanaco  skins.  Other  skins 
serve  to  divide  the  interior  of  the  tent  into  rooms.  Whole 
families  and  their  guests  go  to  bed  in  a  single  room  in  the 
out-of-the-way  parts  of  the  United  States,  such  as  the 
mountains  of  Kentucky  and  West  Virginia,  but  the  Te- 
huelches  are  modest  enough  to  divide  their  sleeping 
places  so  that  parents  and  children,  boys  and  girls,  and 
guests  are  separated  by  curtains  of  horsehide.  For  beds 
they  have  cushions  made  of  coarse  blankets  stuffed  with 
guanaco  wool,  and  they  know  the  comfort  of  pillows, 
which  are  made  of  soft  skins  stuffed  with  guanaco  hair. 

They  are  very  modest  in  dress.  From  the  time  they 
are  five  years  old  they  wear  a  cloth  secured  about  the 
loins  by  a  belt.  To  this  the  women  add  a  gown  in  these 
days,  and  the  inevitable  robe  of  guanaco  skins,  while  the 
men  and  women  both  wear  the  robe  and  boots  made  of 
the  skin  of  a  colt's  hind  legs.  The  old  style  of  boots 
stuffed  with  straw  that  gave  the  name  of  Patagones  to  this 
really  small-footed  race  was  abandoned  soon  after  horses 
were  introduced. 

In  sexual  morality,  it  is  said,  when  the  subject  is  first 
broached  to  the  gauchos,  that  the  Tehuelches  are  a  bad 
lot,  but  when  one  asks  for  details  he  finds  that  in  their 
natural  state  they  were  by  no  means  lascivious.  They 
have  been  corrupted  terribly  by  the  traders  who  swap 
rum  for  furs,  but  all  the  whites  agree  that  the  Tehuelche 


1 66         THE   GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORN. 

women  were  by  nature  modest  and  delicate,  and,  when 
compared  with  other  aboriginal  women,  at  once  most 
patient,  bright,  cheerful,  and  helpful  companions,  and 
faithful  as  well. 

For  cooking  the  Tehuelches  use  the  long  steel  bar 
common  among  gauchos  for  suspending  a  roast  over  the 
fire.  The  gauchos  say  the  Indians  are  always  in  such  a 
hurry  to  begin  eating  that  time  to  cook  a  roast  through 
is  never  allowed.  The  outside  of  the  meat  will  be  crisp, 
and  even  burned,  while  the  centre  is  still  raw.  No  mat- 
ter ;  steaming  slices  are  slashed  off,  and,  dripping  with 
hot  juices,  conveyed  to  the  mouth.  But  having  tried  some 
of  these  slices  myself,  I  can  advise  the  reader  to  wait  a 
like  opportunity  before  condemning  the  Tehuelche's 
taste  in  roasts.  Besides  that,  one  must  keep  in  mind  that 
they  are  greedy  only  after  a  long  fast,  and  that  under 
such  circumstances  even  the  lordly  white  man  has  been 
known  to  eat  half-raw  meat.  They  also  carry  big  kettles 
for  boiling,  and  a  rather  better  outfit  of  dishes  than  the 
gauchos  use.  These  things  they  get  of  the  whites  in  ex- 
change for  ostrich  plumes.  In  the  old  days  they  used  to 
broil  their  meat  on  the  coals,  and  even  now  they  fill  small 
animals  with  hot  stones  and  then  bury  them  (hides  on) 
in  the  embers,  and  so  make  a  right  good  dish. 

They  are  called  dirty — even  vile — because  they  oil 
themselves  all  over  with  the  marrow  of  ostrich  bones. 
As  a  matter  of  fact  they  are  in  most  matters  cleanly. 
They  bathe  daily  when  near  a  lake  or  stream  (the  men 
separate  from  the  women),  and  when  the  floor  of  a  tent 
is  by  accident  fouled  the  careful  squaw  always  cuts  out 
the  earth  to  a  depth  of  two  inches  and  throws  it  away. 
They  are  also  called  dirty  because  they  eat  the  viscera 
of  animals,  the  lungs,  stomach,  etc.     They  also  eat  un- 


p^jpt^- 


^, 


TEHUELCHES  IN  CAMP. 


THE  NOMADS  OF  PA  TAGONIA.  1 6/ 

born  guanaco  kids  and  unhatched  ostriches.  One  can 
tell  about  such  doings  in  a  way  that  will  make  the  Tehu- 
elches  seem  to  be  a  very  disgusting  lot.  And  so  the 
descriptions  generally  run.  But  when  one  remembers 
some  kinds  of  food  the  most  civilized  white  men  eat, 
there  is  found  to  be  very  little  difference  in  such  mat- 
ters between  the  two  races. 

Indeed,  when  one  has  seen  these  Indians — has  noted 
their  self-restraint,  their  dignity,  and  gracefulness  of 
looks  and  bearing,  their  gentleness  and  consideration 
one  for  the  other,  the  utter  lack  of  servility  among 
them  ;  more  than  all,  when  one  has  noted  the  brightness 
of  their  minds,  the  ease,  for  instance,  with  which  they 
learn  a  foreign  language  and  grasp  ideas  entirely  new 
and  foreign  to  their  environment  and  habits  of  thought — 
one  all  but  loses  patience  with  the  pride  of  race  and 
egotism  of  religion  that  have  named  them  savages. 

A  visitor  to  the  meeting  place  of  the  Societe  d'Ethno- 
graphie  of  Paris,  sees  upon  the  wall  above  the  President's 
chair  this  motto  : 

Corpore  diver  si,  sed  7nentis  lumine  fratres. 

The  truth  of  that  motto  is  never  more  apparent  than 
in  a  contemplation  of  the  Indians  of  Patagonia. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


THE    WELSH    IN    PATAGONIA. 


A  MOST  remarkable  colony  is  that  which  the  AVelsh 
**■  have  made  in  Patagonia.  Rarely,  if  ever,  in  the  his- 
tory of  the  Americas  have  emigrants  from  the  old  country 
been  surrounded  by  conditions  and  circumstances  so 
discouraging  as  those  to  be  described  in  this  story  of 
that  colony,  and  rarely,  if  ever,  has  a  colonizing  pro- 
ject originated  as  did  this  the  Welch  colony  that  is  now 
flourishing  on  the  banks  of  the  Chubut  River,  750  miles 
southwest  of  Buenos  Ayres.  Although  one  must  really 
see  the  country  to  appreciate  fully  what  the  colonists 
endured  and  have  achieved,  yet  I  fancy  that  some  of  the 
facts  are  of  sufficient  human  interest  to  make  the  story 
fully  worth  the  telling. 

The  colony  is  known  by  the  name  of  the  river  on 
which  it  is  located — Chubut.  It  was  formed  by  immi- 
grants who  left  their  homes,  paradoxical  as  it  may  seem, 
because  they  were  patriots.  They  were  all  Welshmen, 
who,  because  the  laws  of  Great  Britain  have  compelled 
the  use  of  English  in  Welsh  schools  since  the  year  1282, 
when  Prince  Llewellyn  fell,  determined  to  found  a  col- 
ony in  such  an  out-of-the-way  part  of  the  world  that  they 
could,    unmolested,    perpetuate    the   mother   tongue  of 

168 


THE   WELSH  IN  PATAGONIA.  1 69 

Wales.  The  prime  mover  in  this  matter  was  Dr.  Michael 
Jones  of  Bala  College,  and  he  was  assisted  by  Mr.  Lewis 
Jones,  who  is  now  a  resident  of  the  colony. 

These  gentlemen  looked  the  maps  of  the  world  over, 
and  they  read  the  descriptions  of  all  the  unsettled  parts 
which  travellers  out  of  the  way  had  written,  the  ultimate 
conclusion  being  that  no  habitable  country  in  the  world 
could  offer  such  complete  isolation  as  the  Patagonia 
region  of  the  Argentine  Republic.  There  came  a  time 
afterward  when  they  began  to  doubt  whether  the  land 
they  had  chosen  was  really  habitable,  but  it  was  then 
too  late  to  turn  back. 

An  appeal  for  a  grant  of  land  was  made  to  the  Argen- 
tine Government,  and  that  is  an  appeal  that  is  never 
made  in  vain  by  any  colony  acting  in  good  faith  to  any 
Latin-American  Government.  It  is  true  that  efforts 
were  made  to  dissuade  the  Welshmen  from  going  to 
Patagonia,  but  those  efforts  were  intended  for  the  good 
of  the  colonists.  They  were  asked  to  take  the  fertile 
lands  of  the  north  instead  of  the  desert  of  the  south. 
No  one  but  the  promoters  of  the  colony  believed  that 
any  settlement  could  exist  in  the  desert,  and  never  did 
promoters  come  nearer  to  losing  heart  and  yet  succeed. 

It  was  on  July  28,  1865,  that  the  Welsh  pilgrims  first 
landed  in  the  region  they  had  chosen.  At  that  time  the 
whole  of  Patagonia,  between  Rio  Negro  and  the  Strait 
of  Magellan,  was  in  precisely  the  same  condition  that  it 
was  when  Pedro  Sarmiento's  colony  starved  to  death  in 
the  strait,  when  Cavendish  discovered  Port  Desire,  and 
when  Darwin  explored  a  part  of  the  remarkable  Santa 
Cruz  River.  Nor  was  that  all.  War  was  incessantly 
waged  between  the  people  of  the  republic  (who  were 
pleased  to  call  themselves  Christians)  and  the  people  of 


170         THE   GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORN. 

the  desert  plains,  who  were  called  savages  by  the  self- 
styled  Christians.  And  the  savages,  as  has  been  told, 
had  the  best  of  the  fights.  The  whites  occupied  one 
settlement  on  the  Rio  Negro,  but  only  by  favor  of  the 
red  men.  What  could  a  handful  of  Welshmen,  unused 
to  plains  life  and  wholly  ignorant  of  savage  warfare,  do 
with  such  fierce  warriors  ? 

The  time  came,  however,  when  the  Welshmen  were 
asking  each  other,  "  What  would  we  have  done  without 
the  Indians  ?  " 

As  said,  it  was  in  the  last  week  of  July,  1865,  when 
the  Welshmen  first  saw  the  land  where  they  intended  to 
perpetuate  their  mother  tongue  in  its  purity.  July  in 
Patagonia  is  the  mid-winter  month.  A  sailing  ship  took 
them  to  the  southeast  corner  of  New  Gulf,  a  nearly  cir- 
cular bay  in  the  coast,  seven  hundred  miles  southwest  of 
Buenos  Ayres.  Here  it  put  them  out  on  the  gravelly 
beach,  gave  them  some  food  and  water,  and  then  sailed 
away.  There  were  150  souls  all  told.  How  utterly 
alone  they  were,  and  how  far  away  from  civilization  can 
be  better  appreciated  when  we  remember  that  in  those 
days  no  merchant  steamers  had  yet  gone  down  the 
coast  to  pass  the  Strait  of  Magellan,  and  that  the  only 
white  men  living  south  of  the  struggling  settlement  on  the 
Rio  Negro  were  a  disconsolate  gang  of  convicts,  guarded 
by  an  equally  forlorn  squad  of  soldiers  in  a  stockade  on 
the  strait  just  mentioned.  The  Welshmen  were  sepa- 
rated from  all  civilization,  even  the  Argentine  kind — a 
kind  to  which  they  were  not  accustomed — by  the  stormy 
sea  on  one  hand  and  by  hundreds  of  miles  of  desert  on 
the  other,  a  desert  that  was  utterly  impassable  save  by 
the  Indians,  who  alone,  in  those  days,  knew  where  the 
widely-separated  springs  of  fresh  water  were  to  be  found. 


THE   WELSH  IN  PATAGONIA.  \'Jl 

Nor  were  their  immediate  surroundings  any  more 
cheerful  than  a  contemplation  of  the  region  that  lay  be- 
tween them  and  the  far-away  settlement  on  the  Rio 
Negro. 

They  had  landed  on  a  pebbly  beach  near  the  foot  of  a 
low,  white  alluvial  cliff  into  which  the  elements  had 
eaten  holes  large  enough  to  be  called  caves.  Beyond 
the  cliffs  the  arid  desert,  a  mixture  of  sand  and  pebbles, 
rose  in  sweeping  undulations  to  a  crest  perhaps  six 
miles  away  and  four  hundred  feet  above  the  sea.  They 
were  walled  in  by  desert  ridges.  There  was  not  a  green 
thing  in  sight,  but  only  ragged  brown  desert  brush 
and  an  occasional  yellow,  dry  bunch  of  grass.  There 
was  neither  house  nor  hut  for  their  reception  or  shelter, 
and,  worse  than  all  else,  there  was  neither  stream  nor 
pool  nor  spring  of  water  fit  to  drink  anywhere  within 
fifty-one  miles.  That  was  the  kind  of  a  country  to 
which  these  150  Welshmen  came  to  plant  a  colony  that 
should  live  by  agriculture. 

The  Pilgrims  who  came  to  Plymouth  Rock  because 
they  could  not  make  the  world  elsewhere  worship 
according  to  the  dictates  of  their  consciences,  had  a 
tolerably  bleak  time  of  it  according  to  the  orators  on 
New  England  Society  days,  but  if  one  wants  to  hear 
stories  of  real  hardships  endured  by  pioneers,  let  him  go 
to  Chubut  and  talk  to  one  of  the  older  Welshmen. 

The  first  thing  done  was,  of  necessity,  to  dig  a  well  for 
water.  They  found  water,  and  the  well  is  still  there.  A 
drink  from  its  depths  will  carry  a  Yankee  cowboy  back 
to  his  old  haunts  on  the  plains  of  Southwest  Kansas  and 
No  Man's  Land,  instantly  ;  that  is,  it  will  carry  his 
thoughts  there.  He  will  say  "  gypsum  "  or  "  alkali " 
with  something  verbally  stronger  still,  as  soon  as  he  gets 


172         THE    GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORN. 

his  mouth  empty.  Indeed,  one  need  not  look  five 
minutes  anywhere  around  New  Gulf  to  find  plenty  of 
gypsum.  Nevertheless,  the  water  would  support  life 
after  a  fashion,  and  the  Welshmen  turned  from  the  well 
to  make  shelters  of  the  caves  nature  had  provided. 

From  the  work  of  arranging  their  scanty  household 
goods  in  the  caves  these  pioneers  went  forth,  not  to  sow 
and  plant,  but  to  make  a  road.  They  were  in  the  region 
where  they  were  to  find  homes,  but  the  actual  home  sites 
— the  farms  of  240  acres  that  were  to  be  theirs — lay 
fifty-one  miles  away  over  and  beyond  the  crest  of  the 
desert  amphitheatre  within  which  they  had  landed. 
They  had  to  mark  the  trail  lest  they  get  lost,  clear  it  of 
brush  and  level  its  irregularities,  and  then  they  must 
needs  transport  themselves  and  their  belongings  over  it 
to  the  banks  of  the  Chubut  River. 

And  all  this  they  did  to  find  at  last  that,  save  for  a 
deposit  of  black  loam  in  parts  of  the  valley  of  the 
stream,  they  had  come  to  a  land  as  desolate  as  the 
shores  of  New  Gulf.  The  desert  walled  them  in.  The 
wells  filled  with  alkali  water.  The  north  wind  was  like 
a  blast  from  the  furnace  in  which  Shadrach,  Meshach, 
and  Abednego  fell  down,  and  almost  every  wind  came 
laden  with  a  brown  fog  of  sand.  They  had  sought  iso- 
lation ;  they  had  found  it  with  a  vengeance. 

Nevertheless,  these  Welshmen — and  they  were  all 
miners,  too,  and  not  farmers — began  work  to  make 
homes  and  farms.  They  laid  out  a  capital  city,  which 
they  named  Rawson  in  honor  of  the  Argentine  Cabinet 
officer  who  had  interested  himself  in  their  behalf.  It 
was  a  sorry  capital  then,  but  duplicates  of  it  can  be 
found  in  the  Texas  Panhandle.  It  was  a  town  of  dug- 
outs and  mud  huts.     There  was  no  timber  for  houses. 


THE   WELSH  IN  PA  TAGONIA.  1/3 

They  planted  gardens.  They  looked  the  region  over. 
They  began  to  learn  how  to  hunt  the  guanaco  and  the 
ostrich  that  roamed  over  the  desert. 

And  then  came  the  Indians,  the  huge-framed  Tehuel- 
ches,  to  whom  the  early  explorer  of  the  region  had  given 
the  name  of  Big  Feet  (Patagonians).  It  was  a  notable 
day  in  the  history  of  the  settlement,  but  not  a  day  of 
bloodshed.  The  Tehuelches  and  the  Welshmen  became 
friends  at  once,  partly  because  the  Indians,  on  learning 
why  the  whites  had  sought  the  isolation,  comprehended 
the  matter  in  a  way  that  made  them  feel  a  brotherly  re- 
gard for  the  intruders  such  as  they  had  never  felt  for 
any  other  whites.  The  Welshmen  had  come  to  find  en- 
tire freedom  in  the  desert,  and  that  was  something  the 
freeborn  son  of  the  desert  could  appreciate. 

That  was  an  excellent  beginning,  but  only  a  first  vic- 
tory. There  were  many  other  foes  on  the  desert.  There 
were  the  panthers,  the  great,  lean,  sly  cats  that  are  called 
also  American  lions.  They  swarmed  on  the  uplands 
and  by  night  came  to  the  settlement  for  the  blood  of 
horses,  cattle,  and  sheep.  There  were  locusts  in  clouds 
that  obscured  the  sun.  There  were  wild  geese,  ducks, 
and  coots  from  the  river — the  winged  pests  were  in 
legions.  It  was  a  waterless  region  and  uninhabitable 
for  man  beyond  the  valley  of  the  stream,  but  in  the 
thorny  brush  of  the  desert  millions  of  nature's  allies  in 
her  warfare  against  man  found  breeding  places. 

For  the  first  year  the  colony  was  to  be  supplied  with 
provisions  by  the  Argentine  Government.  The  contract 
was  faithfully  kept.  The  colonists  hoped  to  raise  enough 
food  for  their  own  use  after  that,  but  their  hopes  failed. 
The  hot  winds  destroyed  the  few  results  of  their  labors 
which  birds  and  beasts  had  spared.     Nevertheless,  they 


174         THE   GOLD   DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORN. 

held  on  for  another  year,  the  government  supplying 
their  needs,  although,  meantime,  more  colonists  had 
come.  Then  came  another  failure  of  crops.  The 
reader  will  say  it  took  a  lot  of  pluck  to  hold  on  after 
that  for  another  year.  So  it  did.  These  Welshmen 
were  full  of  it.  Not  only  for  another  year,  but  for  an- 
other, and  another  still — for  six  weary  years  those  men 
fought  the  gaunt  wolf  that  stood  at  their  doors.  Then 
came  prosperity,  but  with  leaden  footsteps. 

That  the  colonists  did  not  perish  absolutely  of  starva- 
tion was  due  first  to  the  persistent  care  of  the  Argentine 
Government.  Uncle  Sam  was  counted  generous  when 
he  gave  to  every  immigrant  i6o  acres  of  land.  The 
Argentine  Government  not  only  gave  these  immigrants 
240  acres  of  land  each,  on  the  condition  that  they  im- 
prove it  somewhat  and  live  there  two  years,  but  it  estab- 
lished a  commissary  department  in  the  colony,  and  for 
nearly  ten  years  gave  free  of  cost  all  supplies  of  food 
and  clothing  needed  to  keep  them  alive,  and  as  late  as 
1877,  when  crops  had  begun  to  flourish  well,  still  ex- 
tended a  generous  helping  hand.  This  was  done  in 
spite  of  the  fact  that  these  Welshmen  were  avowedly 
clannish.  They  had  come  to  establish  a  Welsh  colony, 
and  had  obtained  permission  in  advance  not  only  to  pre- 
serve their  own  language,  but  to  govern  themselves  and 
to  live  free  of  taxation.  Under  the  terms  of  the  original 
concession,  they  were  of  value  to  the  Argentine  nation 
only  in  the  fact  that  they  were  to  break  up  and  cultivate 
so  much  wild  land.  They  could  not  have  been  made 
to  fight  for  the  land  of  their  adoption  even  against 
an  invading  host  of  Brazilian  monarchists.  No  gov- 
ernment was  ever  more  generous  to  colonists  than  the 
Argentine. 


THE   WELSH  IN  PATAGONIA.  1 75 

Goods  were  sent  to  Chubut  by  the  ship  load.  But 
more  than  once  the  ship  went  wrong,  and  the  goods 
were  lost.  Then  came  the  time  of  dire  distress  when 
only  their  good  friends  the  Tehuelches  could  save  them. 
The  Welshmen  were  starving  on  several  occasions  when 
the  Indians  came  down  the  river  and  brought  succor — 
guanaco,  and  ostrich,  and  panther  meat  in  abundance, 
with  skins  for  clothing.  As  the  corn  of  the  Massachusetts 
Indians  saved  the  Pilgrim  Fathers,  so  the  meat  of  the  Te- 
huelches saved  the  Welshmen.  But  the  Tehuelche  Indians 
liave  not  now  to  mourn,  nor  do  the  Welshmen  now  hang 
their  heads  in  shame  at  the  mention  of  any  King  Philip. 
White  men  made  war  on  the  Tehuelches  and  extermi- 
nated them,  but  no  Welshmen,  though  the  colony  was 
then  self-supporting,  took  part  in  that  hateful  enterprise, 
and  when  the  red  remnant  were  forced  at  last  to  give  up 
the  fight,  they  came  down  to  the  Chubut  River  and  sur- 
rendered to  the  fair-dealing  white  men,  who  had  called 
them  brothers  and  meant  what  they  said.  More  pitiful 
still,  when  one  brave  old  chief,  wounded  to  death,  was 
breathing  his  last  in  Buenos  Ayres,  he  smilingly  looked 
about  him  and  said  : 

"  I  am  going  to  the  Welshman's  heaven." 
As  said,  for  six  years,  the  colonists  struggled  against 
failing  hopes,  eating  only  the  bitter  bread  of  charity, 
struggled  to  maintain  themselves  where  they  could  per- 
petuate their  language  in  its  purity.  In  187 1  came  the 
turn  in  the  tide.  A  dam  was  built  across  the  Chubut 
River  in  that  year,  and  an  irrigating  ditch  taken  out.  Of 
course  they  did  not  finish  the  canal  in  one  year.  It  was 
a  ditch  thirty-six  feet  wide  on  top,  eighteen  on  the  bot- 
tom, and  six  feet  deep,  and  year  by  year  they  lengthened 
it  out.     When  the  water  kissed  the  warm,  dark  soil,  it 


1/6         THE   GOLD  DIGGINGS  OP  CAPE  HORN. 

was  like  the  kiss  of  the  maiden  on  the  lips  of  the  grate- 
ful beast  in  the  fairy  story.  The  desert  was  transformed 
into  a  blooming  garden. 

And  here  is  an  interesting  fact.  For  six  years  the 
colonists  had  eaten  no  bread,  save  what  was  given  to 
them.  They  would,  therefore,  get  clear  of  that  evil  first 
of  all.  They  sowed  wheat  and  barley,  and  they  sow  little 
else  to  this  day.  Whatever  may  happen,  the  Chubut 
man  will  never  again  have  to  ask  for  bread  of  anybody. 

However,  as  said,  progress  was  slow.  The  first  ditch 
was  not  well  located,  and  when  an  unusual  drought 
came  the  water  of  the  river  did  not  reach  the  ditch,  and 
the  crop  failed  in  spite  of  it.  Then,  too,  there  were  the 
wild  pests  at  all  times — the  locusts  and  the  wild  fowl. 
Even  after  eleven  years  of  irrigation — in  1882 — there  was 
a  failure  from  the  drought.  But  that  set  them  to  build- 
ing a  greater  ditch,  of  which  they  all  now  make  boast. 

About  five  hundred  settlers  came  out  in  the  early 
years  of  famine,  but  the  number  dwindled  to  less  than 
two  hundred  in  1871.  In  1880  the  result  of  irrigation 
had  swelled  the  number  to  eight  hundred,  and  in  1885 
there  were  double  that  number.  In  1880  the  settlers 
were  scattered  along  the  valley  for  about  twenty-five 
miles  from  the  mouth  of  the  river,  and  there  was  a  sort 
of  a  village  at  each  end  of  the  settlement.  The  houses 
were,  as  a  rule,  even  then  mere  huts.  Wagons,  and  carts, 
and  horses  were  had  in  sufficient  number.  In  fact,  the 
Government  at  Buenos  Ayres  had  provided  all  of  these 
things.  But  the  abundant  harvests  of  1880  and  1881 
gave  a  boom  to  the  settlement  which  the  failure  of  1882 
only  checked  temporarily.  The  colonists  went  up  stream 
to  a  valley  thirty  miles  long  beyond  a  narrow  canon  and 
took  up  land  there.     It  was  there  that  the  head  of  the 


THE   WELSH  IN  PA  TAGONIA.  1 77 

great  new  ditch  was  located.  They  have  since  gone  to 
a  third  still  higher.  They  have,  in  fact,  taken  up  all  the 
available  land  for  seventy  miles  along  the  river.  They 
have  270  miles  of  main  irrigating  canals.  The  largest 
has  a  cross  section  measuring  75x9x36  feet,  and  the  whole 
270  miles  cost  j[^\Zofioo.  There  are  3250  people  in 
the  settlement. 

Some  of  the  details  of  their  condition  from  time  to 
time  remind  one  of  the  Yankee  frontier  settlements. 
They  began  their  religious  life  in  the  colony  with  union 
services,  and  got  on  comfortably  until  they  prospered. 
Sectarians  floated  in  on  the  waters  of  the  irrigating 
ditch,  so  to  speak,  and  there  was  a  burst  of  zeal  in  build- 
ing up  denominations  that  brought  a  growth  in  church 
outfits  quite  equal  to  that  in  the  area  planted — rather 
larger,  in  fact.  Among  the  2000  people  of  1883  there 
were  two  independent  congregations  with  ordained  min- 
isters, who  held  regular  services  in  chapels,  of  which 
"  the  walls  were  baked  brick,  the  roofs  were  wooden, 
with  a  layer  of  mud  on  top,  and  the  wooden  benches 
had  good  backs  to  them,"  as  one  of  them  described  the 
places  of  worship.  They  had  also  a  stone-walled  chapel 
in  a  third  place,  and  held  regular  services  in  school- 
houses  in  other  places.  The  Methodists  had  a  brick 
church  with  an  ordained  minister,  at  Rawson,  and  held 
services  in  the  upper  valley.  The  Baptists  had  a  fine 
chapel  at  Frondrey,  one  of  the  little  villages  that  sprang 
up,  and  an  ordained  minister  for  it.  In  fact,  there  were, 
in  all,  seven  ordained  ministers  in  the  colony,  and  in 
1884  the  Episcopalians  brought  out  the  eighth.  Every 
one  of  these  had  his  240  acres  of  land,  and  every  one 
worked  his  own  farm  and  got  rich,  as  his  neighbors  did, 
raising  wheat. 


178         THE   GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORN. 

It  is  a  significant  fact  that  up  to  1S84  the  colony  did 
not  have  a  single  physician.  It  scarcely  needed  one. 
Still  some  one  was  sure  to  break  a  limb  every  two  or 
three  years,  and  the  colonists  were  right  glad  when,  in 
1885,  a  man  with  a  diploma  came  there  and  took  up  the 
usual  allowance  of  land. 

In  1883  a  number  of  Welsh  prospectors  came  from 
Australia  to  Chubut  and  went  as  far  back  as  the  Andes. 
They  found  several  croppings  of  lignite,  which  at  first 
were  thought  to  be  good  coal,  and  that  made  a  stir.  The 
stuff  is  now  used  for  fuel  to  some  extent  in  the  houses, 
and  it  is  to  be  found  that  five  tons  will  serve  for  about 
two  tons  of  Welsh  coal. 

Then  they  found  gold  and  went  to  work  filing  claims. 
The  gold,  however,  lies  only  thirty-one  leagues  from  a 
port  on  the  Chili  coast  where  a  German  steamer  calls 
once  a  month,  so  that  the  diggings,  which  include  placer 
as  well  as  quartz  workings,  will  hardly  benefit  Chubut 
save  as  a  market  for  produce  may  be  created.  About 
^50,000  gold  has  been  invested  in  the  workings.  The 
Yankee  traveller  is  sure  to  be  informed,  too,  that  "  a 
Texas  cowboy  named  Marshall  has  a  store  at  the  camp, 
and  he  says  the  diggings  beat  California." 

Then  it  was  observed  that  the  desert  plains  above  the 
upper  parts  of  the  inhabited  valley  swarmed  with  gua- 
nacos  as  the  desert  plains  of  New  Mexico  once  swarmed 
with  antelopes.  Droves  of  from  5000  to  7000  were  seen. 
It  was  rightly  argued  that  sheep  could  live  where  the 
guanaco  did.  The  Chubut  colonists  are  going  into  the 
wool  business,  though  slowly,  and  this  is  certain  to  be 
the  greatest  source  of  wealth  to  the  colonists  in  the 
future.  Bunch  grass  grows  on  the  uplands.  It  is  in 
scant  quantity,  but  it  is  there.     Water  flows  through  the 


THE   WELSH  IN  PATAGONIA.  1 79 

valley.  The  man  who  has  water  can  hold  all  the  sheep 
that  can  feed  on  the  desert  back  of  his  farm,  and  that 
means  at  least  two  thousand.  Sheep  thrive  wonderfully 
in  the  pure  air  and  on  the  dry  gravel  of  Patagonia. 
Everywhere  along  the  coast  the  shepherds  boast  that 
every  sheep  is  worth  a  gold  dollar  a  year  clear  profit,  be- 
sides the  increase  in  the  flock.  But  this  statement 
should  not  lead  any  one  to  go  to  Chubut  to  begin  life, 
because  all  the  available  land  in  the  valley  has  been 
taken  up. 

Meantime,  after  irrigation  brought  crops,  the  subject 
of  transportation  had  agitated  the  colonists.  The  mouth 
of  the  Chubut  River  had  an  impassable  bar.  Nearly  all 
freight,  previous  to  1885,  was  either  brought  to  New  Gulf 
and  carted  thence  over  the  old  trail  to  the  valley,  or  else 
was  brought  in  tiny  sailing  vessels  which,  at  the  time, 
when  the  melting  snow  on  the  head  waters  made  a 
freshet  in  the  river,  could  work  in  over  the  bar.  The 
surplus  grain  had  to  be  shipped  out  in  the  same  way. 
There  was  a  weary  and  an  expensive  haul  by  the  one 
route  ;  by  the  other,  a  tedious  and  expensive  waiting  for 
high  water.  In  1885,  a  company  was  formed  to  construct 
a  railway  from  the  valley  to  New  Gulf,  and  the  Argentine 
Government  granted  a  charter,  and  gave  a  subsidy  of 
204  square  miles  of  desert  land.  I  guess  the  subsidy 
is  n't  worth  much,  for  there  seems  to  be  no  way  to  get 
water  on  it.  They  even  carry  water  from  the  Chubut 
valley  to  supply  all  employees  along  the  line,  now,  but 
a  road  of  a  metre  gauge  was  built,  and  a  very  good  road 
it  is,  considering  that  English  stock  and  materials  were 
used. 

Building  the  road  involved  the  making  of  two  new 
town  sites — one  on  the  gulf  and  one  at  the  railroad  ter- 


l8o         THE   GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORN. 

minus.  That  in  the  Chubut  valley  has  been  built  up,  but 
half  a  dozen  wood,  iron,  and  mud  huts  are  all  that  can 
be  found  at  Madryn,  on  the  gulf.  Still  Madryn  is  an 
interesting  town.  It  has  a  ruler,  appointed  by  the  Presi- 
dent of  the  republic.  He  is  called  the  Prefect.  His 
district  is  a  sub-prefect,  and  he  is  a  sort  of  an  autocratic 
Mayor.  Lieutenants  in  the  navy  get  all  such  appoint- 
ments in  Patagonia. 

Madryn  also  has  a  Captain  of  the  Port  and  a  squad  of 
sailors  to  help  preserve  the  dignity  of  the  Prefect,  and  the 
Prefect  has  an  assistant  Prefect,  who  ranks  a  little  below 
the  Captain  of  the  Port.  Outside  of  the  official  group, 
but  on  excellent  terms  with  it,  is  the  railroad  group. 
This  includes  an  agent,  who  is  a  well-educated  Welsh- 
man, and  a  telegraph  operator,  who  is  the  charming 
daughter  of  the  agent.  To  rank  with  the  non-commis- 
sioned officer  and  the  Jack  tars  of  the  official  group  there 
is  a  foreman  and  a  gang  of  railroad  trackmen.  Then 
there  are  two  lighters  afloat  in  the  bay  for  the  transfer  of 
freight  to  and  from  the  Argentine  naval  transports,  which 
come  down  from  Buenos  Ayres  once  in  three  weeks. 
These  lighters  are  excellent  sea  boats,  instead  of  having 
the  models  that  lighters  in  New  York  have.  One  is  a 
schooner  and  the  other  is  a  sloop,  and  five  men  man  the 
two. 

The  railroad  has  prospered  moderately.  It  has  5000 
tons  of  wheat  to  carry  from  the  colony  every  year,  besides 
some  small  packages  of  ostrich  feathers,  guanaco  skins, 
and  products  of  Indian  workmanship.  It  carries  in  dry 
goods,  groceries,  and  hardware,  and  several  passengers  a 
month  pass  over  it  each  way.  A  train  runs  over  the  road 
every  tiuie  a  ship  comes  to  port — say  once  in  three  weeks. 
In  fact,  the  company  is  going  to  extend  the  line  up  the 


THE   WELSH  IN  PA  TA  GO XI A.  I  0  I 

valley.  The  people  living  seventy  miles  above  the  end 
of  the  road  want  better  facilities  for  shipping  their  wheat, 
and  they  are  going  to  have  them.  This  branch  of  the 
road  will  very  likely  have  a  train  once  a  week  to  accom- 
modate local  passenger  traffic.  In  case  the  gold  mines 
develop  half  the  wealth  they  are  expected  to,  the  railroad 
will  be  carried  right  away  up  to  the  diggings. 

Patagonia  railroad  building  is  not  expensive.  All 
Patagonia  between  river  valleys  is  everywhere  ballasted 
with  proper  gravel  for  a  road-bed,  and  is  so  nearly  level 
that  the  ties  can  be  laid,  as  they  were  laid  on  Texas  lines 
years  ago,  right  on  the  natural  surface  without  turning  a 
shovelful  of  dirt.  As  compared  with  some  Yankee  rail- 
roads, the  only  railroad  in  Patagonia  is  no  great  affair  ;  but 
when  compared  with  some  others  it  leaves  them  out  of 
sight,  because  it  pays  dividends  as  well  as  develops  the 
country. 

To  sum  it  all  up,  here  was  a  colony  that  might  well 
have  been  called  a  failure  before  the  people  reached 
their  destination.  It  was  called  a  failure  by  about  every 
impartial  observer  who  visited  it  during  the  first  ten 
years  of  its  existence.  Nevertheless,  in  spite  of  the 
drought,  in  spite  of  alkali,  in  spite  of  homesickness,  in 
spite  of  all  the  myriad  drawbacks  to  which  it  was  subject, 
it  prospered  at  the  last,  and  is  now  worth  millions 
sterling. 

But  alas  for  Dr.  Michael  Jones  of  Bala  College  !  Alas 
for  Mr.  Lewis  Jones,  now  of  the  colony  !  They  planted 
their  hosts  in  the  uttermost  parts  of  the  earth  that  the 
shade  of  Prince  Llewellyn  might  flourish  and  his  language 
be  spoken  in  its  original  purity  forever.  So  the  shade  did 
flourish  and  the  language  was  spoken  for  many  years,  but 
when   prosperity    came    there    was    an    influx    of    other 


1 82         THE   GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORN. 

tongues,  along  with  an  Argentine  Governor  and  an  offi- 
cial staff.  Spanish  was  the  language  of  the  Argentine, 
and  was  necessary  for  all  official  business.  Under  the 
Argentine  law  every  child  born  in  the  colony  was  a  citi- 
zen of  the  republic,  and  it  was  a  republic  of  which  even 
the  descendants  of  Prince  Llewellyn  did  not  need  to  be 
ashamed.  The  Welsh  youngsters,  indeed,  have  grown 
up  to  look  with  pride  to  the  broad  blue  and  white  stripes 
of  the  flag  under  which  they  were  born.  They  are  chil- 
dren of  the  desert — and  they  love  that  desert — love  it  so 
well  that  they  never  lose  an  opportunity  to  speak  in  its 
favor  ;  and  they  speak  of  it  with  the  soft  vowels  of  the 
Castilian,  rather  than  with  the  consonants  of  the  Welsh. 


CHAPTER  IX. 


BEASTS    ODD    AND    WILD. 


LET  no  sportsman  or  amateur  naturalist  be  deterred 
from  visiting  Patagonia  by  the  discouraging  words 
of  Darwin.  When  that  famous  naturalist  had  climbed  the 
porphyry  hills  back  of  Port  Desire,  and,  gazing  away  over 
the  brown  mesa,  had  seen  little  worth  mentioning  even  by 
a  naturalist  save  "  here  and  there  tufts  of  brown,  wiry 
grass,"  and  "  still  more  rarely  some  low,  thorny  bushes," 
he  went  back  to  his  diary  in  the  cabin  of  his  ship  and 
wrote  "  the  zoology  of  Patagoni'a  is  as  limited  as  Its  flora." 
If  Patagonia  be  compared  with  some  parts  of  the  tropics 
where  the  forests  resound  continually  with  the  cries  of 
birds  and  animals,  where  butterflies  and  humming-birds 
fill  the  air,  and  the  insects  are  seen  or  felt  in  countless 
thousands,  then,  comparatively  speaking,  the  fauna  is 
limited.  And  yet  there  were — and  are — some  forms  or 
life  in  Patagonia — insects,  for  instance — which,  if  Darwin 
had  happened  along  at  the  right  time,  would  have  made 
him  think  the  country  about  as  full  of  life  as  it  needed  to 
be  to  keep  a  human  being  on  the  jump.  There  are  as 
many  mosquitoes  and  punkies  (gnats)  in  Patagonia  as  in 
any  game  country  I  have  seen  in  the  two  Americas,  but 

183 


1 84         THE   GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORN. 

the  absence  of  this  sort  of  life  at  certain  seasons  is  one  of 
the  advantages  which  it  offers  to  the  sportsman,  if  not  to 
the  naturalist.  For  the  hardy  seeker  after  the  thrills  of 
the  chase,  with  incidental  trophies,  Patagonia  offers  in- 
ducements quite  the  equal,  all  things  considered,  of  any 
other  wild  part  of  the  earth. 

Of  the  animals  a  sportsman  could  find  there  the  first  in 
point  of  numbers  is  the  guanaco.  My  first  view  of  the 
guanaco  was  from  the  companion-way  of  the  steamer  in 
which  I  coasted  the  land.  It  was  hanging  in  the  rigging 
about  the  mainmast.  The  ship's  captain  had  been  away 
on  a  hunt,  and  had  killed  two,  which  were  brought  on 
board  and  hung  up  while  I  was  writing  in  my  diary  down 
below.  I  afterward  saw  guanacos  cantering  over  the 
hills  unsuspicious  of  danger,  and  also  fleeing  toward  a 
far  country  because  certain  that  danger  was  near.  They 
were  even  seen  from  the  deck  of  the  steamer  as  she  ran 
down  the  coast.  Although  certain  settlements  have 
driven  these  animals  from  three  or  four  old-time  haunts, 
their  number  in  Patagonia  is  like  unto  the  number  of 
antelope  that  used  to  range  over  parts  of  the  United 
States.     They  are  seen  by  the  thousand. 

In  form  and  habits  the  guanaco  is  a  very  interesting 
beast.  After  a  man  has  hunted  it  a  while  he  comes  to 
think  it  a  model  of  beauty  and  grace,  but  at  first  view, 
even  on  the  plains,  it  seems  to  the  majority  of  people 
ridiculous.  "  It  is  like  a  long-legged  calf  with  a  neck 
three  times  too  long,"  to  quote  the  words  of  a  Yankee 
sailor  I  found  in  Santa  Cruz,  As  a  matter  of  fact  it  has 
the  body  of  a  goat,  but  it  stands  from  three  to  four  feet 
high  when-  full  sized.  The  neck  seems  to  be  as  long  as 
the  body,  while  the  legs,  which  are  as  long  as  those  of  a 
deer,  are  really  thicker,  and  seem  thicker  than  they  are. 


BEASTS  ODD  AND   WILD.  1 8$ 

at  least  in  winter,  because  of  the  length  of  hair.  The 
color  of  the  body  of  the  full-grown  beast  is  the  red  of  a 
red  cow,  but  the  pelage  is  wool  rather  than  hair  until  the 
animal  is  well  on  in  years.  However,  the  pelage  of  the 
legs  is  hair  at  all  ages.  In  youth  the  wool  is  a  light, 
almost  a  fawn  color.  At  all  ages  the  color  of  the  back 
shades  into  white  on  the  belly,  while  in  extreme  old  age 
the  guanacos  are  said  to  turn  almost  white  all  over. 
The  track  of  the  guanaco  is  something  like  that  of  a  deer, 
though  much  larger,  while  the  foot  is  peculiar  in  that  it 
has  at  the  under  side  a  very  prominent  cushion,  which 
projects  below  the  protecting,  forked  hoof  as  the  foot  is 
lifted  into  the  air,  and  which  at  all  times  probably  sup- 
ports the  main  weight  of  the  body,  making  the  step  very 
light  on  the  stony  desert.  The  hoof  is  but  a  shell  sur- 
rounding this  bulbous  cushion.  The  cushion  is  covered 
with  a  rough  but  yielding  skin,  which,  though  rough,  is 
not  calloused  as  the  foot  of  a  barefooted  man  comes  to 
be. 

When  Darwin  v/as  in  Patagonia  he  wrote  some  pages 
about  the  guanaco,  paying  considerable  attention  to  its 
swiftness,  its  peculiar  shape,  which  indicated  that  it  was 
really  the  humpless  camel  of  the  South  American  desert, 
and  its  curious  cry  when  alarmed,  the  exact  neigh  of  a 
horse.  But  more  interesting  than  all  this  was  a  habit 
which  he  believed  it  had  when  about  to  die.  Along  the 
Rio  Santa  Cruz  he  found  the  ground  under  the  brush 
actually  heaped  up  with  the  bones  of  the  guanaco. 
Animal  after  animal  had  crawled  in  under  the  brushy 
shrubs,  and,  lying  down  upon  the  bones  of  others  that 
had  come  there  before  it,  had  breathed  its  last.  He 
also  noticed  that  when  a  guanaco  was  wounded  by  a 
bullet  it  immediately  headed  for  the  river.     The  same 


1 86         THE   GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORN. 

habit  was  observed  on  the  Rio  Gallegos,  but  in  no  other 
place  than  these  two  valleys. 

With  Darwin's  words  as  a  text,  Mr.  W.  H.  Hudson, 
whose  Naturalist  in  La  Plata  is  the  most  interesting 
work  on  natural  history  ever  written,  has  taken  the 
trouble  to  reason  out  the  cause  for  what  he  says  "  looks 
less  like  an  instinct  of  one  of  the  inferior  creatures  than 
the  superstitious  observance  of  human  beings,  who  have 
knowledge  of  death  and  believe  in  a  continued  existence 
after  dissolution  ;  of  a  tribe  that  in  past  times  had  con- 
ceived the  idea  that  the  liberated  spirit  is  only  able  to 
find  its  way  to  its  future  abode  by  starting  at  death  from 
the  ancient  dying  place  of  the  tribe  or  family,  and  thence 
moving  westward,  or  skyward,  or  underground,  or  over 
the  well-worn  immemorial  track,  invisible  to  material 
eyes." 

With  this  uppermost  in  mind,  I  made  haste  on  reach- 
ing Santa  Cruz  to  ask  the  gauchos  and  other  citizens  for 
horses  and  a  guide  to  the  nearest  guanaco  cemetery,  but 
they  did  not  understand  me.  So  I  got  Hudson's  book 
and  showed  them  the  picture  of  the  dying  guanaco,  and 
translated  as  well  as  small  knowledge  of  Spanish  would 
enable,  his  touching  description  of  the  animal  in  the 
place  of  skulls.  By  and  by  they  understood,  and  with 
one  voice  said  : 

"  It  is  not  so." 

"  But  the  bushes  and  bones  are  there — thousands  of 
skeletons." 

"  Without  doubt." 

"  Why,  then,  do  you  say  the  guanaco  does  not  go  there 
to  die,  or  to  escape  an  imaginary  evil  ?  Why  does  he  go 
there  ?  " 

"  It  is  very  simple.     We  stand  now  in  the  lee  of  this 


BEASTS  ODD  AND   WILD.  1 87 

house  because  the  wind  is  very  cold.  Almost  one  winter 
in  three  the  wind  is  much  colder — there  is  a  terrible 
winter.  There  is  much  snow,  and  ice  over  the  snow. 
Every  place  on  the  mesa  is  covered.  To  escape  the 
cold  storms  the  guanacos  seek  the  shelter  of  the  bushes. 
The  storm  continues  many  days.  They  can  find  no 
food  ;  they  cannot  leave  the  shelter.  So  they  die  of 
starvation,  one  lying  over  another.  Every  plainsman 
has  seen  a  thousand  dead  guanacos  under  the  bushes 
after  such  a  winter,  not  only  here  but  in  the  cordillera 
as  well." 

However,  though  the  guanaco  does  not  have  a  dying 
place,  it  has  a  lot  of  characteristics  sure  to  interest  those 
who  are  lovers  of  natural  history.  Like  the  North 
American  buffalo,  it  has  wallowing  places.  On  the 
plains  of  Patagonia,  as  on  those  of  the  Western  States, 
great  saucer-shaped  hollows  are  seen  in  which  the  gua- 
naco lies  down  to  roll  in  the  dust,  but  the  Patagonian 
wallows  are  often  much  larger  than  any  I  ever  saw  in 
Kansas  or  Texas.  The  gauchos  say  this  is  because  the 
guanacos  resort  to  them  in  considerable  herds — from 
thirty  to  one  hundred — and  at  night  sleep  in  them  stand- 
ing, heads  out,  in  a  ring,  while  the  kids  stand  within  the 
circle.  This  habit  protects  the  young  from  the  wild-cats 
and  foxes.  The  guanaco  has  no  effective  defence 
against  the  assault  of  a  panther  save  in  flight.  The  old 
male  guanaco  with  a  herd  of  females  to  defend  will  fight 
when  a  panther  attacks  him  unless  the  attack  is  imme- 
diately fatal.  The  canine  teeth  of  the  guanaco  make  a 
bad  wound,  and  it  can  kick  like  a  mule,  but  the  panther 
is  so  quick  and  strong  that  the  struggles  of  its  victims 
are  always  hopeless. 

In  the  right  season   each  tough   old  male  gathers  a 


1 88         THE   GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORN. 

harem  of  from  thirty  to  fifty  females,  over  which  he 
presides  in  lordly  fashion,  and  in  one  respect  the  old 
fellow  is  a  very  good  head  of  a  family.  He  leads  the 
females  into  the  hollows,  where  the  grass  is  most  abun- 
dant, while  he  remains  on  the  highest  knoll  of  the  vicin- 
ity keeping  watch  for  the  enemy,  and  contenting  himself 
by  browsing  on  the  scant  herbage  he  finds  about  him. 
At  times,  however,  the  guanacos  live  in  vast  herds,  and 
then  all  the  older  males  remain  on  the  higher  knolls  as 
sentinels.  Their  sense  of  smell  is  very  keen.  It  is  well- 
nigh  impossible  to  get  within  half  a  mile  of  the  sentinels 
by  travelling  down  wind — some  say  they  can  smell  a 
party  of  hunters  that  is  a  full  mile  away,  and  even  more 
up  wind.  If  approached  carefully  on  the  lee  side  one 
may  get  very  close,  however,  and  then  the  action  of  the 
sentinels  is  something  that  makes  the  gauchos  laugh. 
The  way  the  old  bucks  prance  and  jump  stiff-legged 
and  paw  the  air  and  neigh  horse-fashion  is  one  of  the 
funniest  things  the  plainsmen  see. 

But,  like  the  antelope,  the  guanaco  is  full  of  curiosity. 
With  a  little  flag  or  even  a  handkerchief  a  man,  after 
concealing  himself  on  the  lee  side  of  a  herd,  can  toll 
them  within  pistol  range  by  simply  waving  the  cloth  in 
the  air  at  brief  intervals.  It  is  likely  that  the  animal 
distinguishes  colors,  for  the  use  of  two  or  three  flags  of 
bright  but  different  colors  excites  them  much  more  than 
one  white  flag  will. 

When  a  herd  is  fired  at  with  a  gun  (something  that 
happens  rarely  in  Patagonia)  the  report  excites,  but  does 
not  necessarily  start  the  beasts  running.  Indeed,  the 
sight  of  the  smoke  may  draw  them  toward  the  gun. 
The  wounded  animal,  if  able  to  run,  invariably  plunges 
down  the  nearest  declivity,  and  in  the  mountains   this 


BEASTS  ODD  AND   WILD.  1 89 

sometimes  means  a  drop  of  hundreds  of  feet.  If  the 
animal  is  one  of  the  leaders  the  whole  herd  with  it  will 
follow,  sheep  fashion.  A  gaucho,  who  had  guided  an 
English  hunter  from  Punta  Arenas  up  into  the  cordillera, 
said  one  shot  of  the  Englishman's  rifle  one  day  killed 
over  a  hundred  guanacos  in  this  way.  They  all  plunged 
over  a  lofty  precipice.  There  was  a  camp  of  Indians  in 
the  vicinity  at  the  time,  and  the  result  of  the  shot  made 
the  white  man  a  very  great  medicine  man  in  their 
estimation. 

Guanacos  can  climb  a  mountain  or  run  on  a  narrow 
ledge  as  well  as  a  goat.  Though  found  on  the  sea-beach, 
they  also  feed  clear  up  to  the  edge  of  perpetual  snow, 
and  are  quite  at  home  in  either  locality.  Their  food  is 
grass  and  twigs,  but  they  are  not  found  in  the  woods, 
save  only  as  the  natural  parks  along  the  foot-hills  of  the 
Andes  might  be  called  woodlands.  Even  there  they 
avoid  going  into  the  clumps  of  trees. 

Guanacos,  when  taken  young,  are  readily  tamed,  and 
for  two  or  three  years,  or  until  they  get  their  full  growth, 
make  very  pleasing  pets.  They  are  fond  of  being  ca- 
ressed, are  very  playful,  and  will  thrive  on  any  food 
suitable  for  sheep  or  cattle.  But  in  the  mating  season, 
after  the  third  year,  they  become  so  vicious  that  it  is 
dangerous  for  women  and  children  to  keep  them  about. 
The  females  are  then  particularly  ill-tempered  toward 
women.  They  show  their  dislike  by  jumping  toward  the 
person  that  excites  their  anger  and  striking  with  all  four 
feet  at  once.  They  also  spit  to  a  distance  of  five  feet 
an  acrid  substance  at  the  objectionable  individual.  If 
they  knock  one  down,  they  will  bite  as  well  as  jump  on 
him. 

The  flesh  of  a  guanaco  that  is  under  three  years  of  age 


190         THE   GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORN. 

is  very  good  ;  that  of  a  yearling  or  under  is  delicious, 
and  killed  in  the  early  fall,  it  is  fat  and  tender  ;  to  my 
taste  the  young  are  the  equal  of  any  venison.  The  old 
ones  are  tough  and  rank.  The  Indians  do  not  kill  the 
old  ones  unless  driven  to  it  by  starvation,  as  during  a 
long  storm.  To  the  Indian,  however,  the  guanaco  is  the 
mainstay  of  life.  From  the  hide  of  the  full-grown  ani- 
mals he  makes  his  tent,  and  from  the  skins  of  the  very 
young — preferably  those  of  the  unborn — with  their  silky 
fur  he  manufactures  the  great  blanket-like  wraps  that 
form  his  distinctive  dress.  The  skin  of  the  hind  legs  is 
readily  turned  into  an  easy  boot,  and  the  skin  of  the  long 
neck  is  dressed  and  cut  into  strips  which  form  cords  for 
the  bolas,  straps,  and  bridles,  and  horsegear  generally — 
in  short,  serves  about  all  the  uses  of  leather.  In  the  sinews 
of  the  back  the  squaws  find  excellent  thread,  and  in  the 
wool  a  material  admirably  adapted  to  weaving  blankets 
and  filling  mattresses  and  cushions.  Nor  is  that  all,  for 
the  bones  serve  various  uses,  and  the  marrow  is  used  in 
place  of  vaseline,  as  well  as  eaten. 

Judging  by  the  good  qualities  of  the  skins  I  have  seen, 
the  hide  of  the  full-grown  guanaco  would  make  an  excel- 
lent leather,  well  adapted  for  valises  and  such  uses, 
while  that  of  the  younger  ones  would  serve  admirably 
for  fine  footwear  and  gloves.  Skins  bring  from  25 
to  50  cents  gold  each  in  the  market  at  Punta  Arenas. 

A  curious  kind  of  ball  accumulates  in  the  stomach  of 
the  guanaco.  It  looks  something  like  a  stone,  but  can  be 
readily  broken.  It  is  said  to  possess  medicinal  qualities, 
and  there  is  a  ready  market  for  the  stuff  at  the  settle- 
ment. 

Next  to  the  guanaco  in  interest  if  not  in  utility  is  the 
panther  of  Patagonia,  \.\\q  felis  concolor  of  the  naturalist, 


BEASTS  ODD  AND   WILD.  IQI 

Nowhere  in  the  world  does  the  great  tree-climbing  cat 
reach  greater  size  or  accumulate  more  fat  than  on  the 
treeless  deserts  of  the  far  south.  Specimens  from  eight 
to  nine  feet  long  over  all  are  frequently  seen.  Though, 
perhaps,  rather  lighter  in  color,  they  are  in  all  other 
respects  exactly  like  the  panthers  of  the  United  States. 
How  it  happened  one  cannot  even  guess,  but  the  panther 
is  known  very  much  better  in  the  desert  than  in  the 
United  States.  Rarely  can  one  read  a  story  of  the 
panther  in  the  States  without  seeing  something  about  its 
terrible  ferocity  toward  human  beings,  while  the  stories 
of  the  panther  that  comes  out  of  the  woods  to  play  with 
the  lonely  wayfarer  as  a  cat  plays  with  a  mouse,  that  it 
may  at  last  crush  and  eat  him,  are  enough  to  make  the 
flesh  of  the  unlearned  reader  creep  on  his  bones.  On  the 
desert  of  Patagonia  there  are  more  panthers  in  propor- 
tion to  the  area  and  the  numbers  of  other  kinds  of  ani- 
mals than  in  any  other  region  of  the  world.  The  lonely 
wayfarer  is  not  often  found  there  afoot,  but  men  have 
been  on  the  desert  unmounted,  and  the  panthers  have 
come  to  play  around  them,  too.  But  it  is  not  as  a  preda- 
tory cat  that  they  come.  It  is  as  a  playful  kitten.  Indi- 
vidual panthers  play  by  themselves — old  ones  as  well  as 
young — by  the  hour.  They  will  chase  and  paw  and  roll 
an  upturned  bush,  or  a  round  rock,  or  any  moving  thing, 
and  lacking  that  will  pretend  to  sneak  up  on  unwary 
game,  crouching  the  while  behind  a  bush,  or  rock  for 
concealment,  to  spring  out  at  last  and  land  on  a  hump  of 
sand  or  a  shadow.  Then  they  turn  around  and  do  the 
same  thing  over  again. 

When  it  is  in  this  frame  of  mind  if  alone  human  being 
comes  along  the  panther  is  as  glad  to  see  him  as  a 
petted    cat   to    see    its    mistress.     It    purrs    and   rolls 


I92         THE    GOLD   DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORN. 

over  before  him,  and  gallops  from  side  to  side,  and 
makes  no  end  of  kitten-like  motions,  and  all  because  of 
the  exuberance  of  its  youthful  spirits.  I  know  that  the 
average  reader,  accustomed  to  the  Fenimore  Cooper  sort 
of  novels,  will  think  this  an  exaggeration,  but  the  plains- 
men of  all  Argentina  call  the  panther  by  a  name  that 
means  "  the  friend  of  man,"  and  that  too  in  spite  of  the 
havoc  it  makes  among  their  sheep. 

This  name,  "  the  friend  of  man,"  applied  to  a  beast 
elsewhere  counted  ferocious,  arose  from  an  incident  well 
authenticated  in  the  history  of  Buenos  Ayres,  though  I 
have  no  doubt  that  other  instances  of  the  kindly  dispo- 
sition of  the  panther  toward  the  human  race  have  served 
to  perpetuate  the  title.  In  1536  the  people  of  Buenos 
Ayres,  then  a  town  of  2000  inhabitants,  were  reduced  to 
the  point  of  starvation  because  of  a  war  with  the  Indians. 
One  writer,  Del  Barco  Centenera,  asserts  that  i8co  of 
the  2000  died  of  hunger.  The  dead  were  buried  only 
just  beyond  the  palisades,  because  of  the  danger  from 
Indians,  and  in  consequence  many  beasts  of  prey  came 
to  feed  on  the  thinly-covered  bodies,  a  circumstance  that 
added  greatly  to  the  terror  and  distress  of  the  people. 
Nevertheless,  hunger  increased  so  much  that  many  ven- 
tured out  into  woods  along  the  river  seeking  edible  roots, 
and  with  some  success.  Among  these  was  a  young 
woman  named  Maldonada,  who,  getting  lost,  was  found 
and  carried  away  by  the  Indians.  Some  months  later, 
peace  having  been  restored,  Don  Rui  Diaz,  the  Captain 
of  the  soldiers,  learned  that  Senorita  Maldonada  was 
alive,  and  thereupon  he  persuaded  the  Indians  to  restore 
her.  He  did  this,  not  to  relieve  her  from  her  slavery, 
but  that  he  might  punish  her  for  what  he  believed  to  be 
her  treachery.     He  thought  she  had  deserted  to  the  In- 


BEASTS  ODD  AND   WILD.  1 93 

dians,  and  so  he  condemned  her  to  be  tied  to  a  tree  three 
miles  from  town  and  left  there  to  be  eaten  by  wild  beasts. 
This  was  done.  After  two  nights  and  a  day  soldiers  were 
sent  to  bring  in  her  bones  for  burial,  but  to  their  great 
astonishment  she  was  found  unhurt.  She  said  a  panther 
had  remained  with  her,  and  had  driven  off  the  jaguars 
and  other  beasts  of  prey  that  came  to  destroy  her.  The 
following  sentence  is  from  an  old  history  of  the  town, 
and  is  given  in  the  original  for  the  benefit  of  those  who 
read  Spanish  because  of  a  pun  in  it. 

Ue  esta  manera  quedo  libre  la  que  ofrecieron  a  las  fieras  ;  la  cual 
mujer  yo  la  conoci,  y  la  llamaban  la  Maldonada,  que  mas  bien  se  le 
podia  llama  la  Biendonada  ;  pues  por  esta  suceso  se  ha  de  ver  no 
haber  merecido  el  castigo  a  que  la  ofrecieron. 

Freely  translated  this  means  : 

In  this  manner  she  that  was  offered  to  the  wild  beasts  remained 
free  ;  the  which  woman  I  knew,  and  they  called  her  Maldonada  (ill- 
bestowed),  whom  they  could  better  have  called  Biendonada  (well 
bestowed),  since  from  this  happening  it  was  seen  that  she  had  not 
merited  the  punishment  she  had  received. 

The  kindness  of  the  panther  does  not  protect  him 
from  the  assault  of  man,  however,  A  war  of  extermina- 
tion is  everywhere  waged  against  the  race.  Mr.  W.  H. 
Greenwood,  a  sheep-owner  whom  I  met  at  Santa  Cruz, 
had  killed  over  looo  panthers  single  handed,  but  in  talk- 
ing of  the  matter  he  said  panther  killing  could  not  be 
called  sport.  When  started  by  horse  or  dogs  it  runs  with 
tremendous  leaps  a  short  distance.  It  gets  tired  out 
quickly,  and  then  leaps  into  the  middle  of  the  largest 
clump  of  thorn  brush  at  hand.  There  it  sits  up  and 
snarls   and  looks  like  a  fierce  cat.     It  will  claw  the  life 


194         THE   GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORN. 

out  of  any  dog  it  can  get  hold  of  very  quickly,  but  the 
moment  a  lasso  drops  over  its  neck  it  gives  up,  and  lying 
down,  shed  tears  as  if  it  knew  and  dreaded  its  fate. 
Panthers  are  knocked  in  the  head  with  the  bolas,  and 
even  stabbed  to  death  with  knives  by  the  shepherds, 
though  this  last  act  is  really  dangerous.  The  panther 
will  not  leap  from  its  crouching  place  at  a  man,  but  if  the 
man  ventures  in  reach  the  beast  may  claw  his  life  out, 
and  he  may  not,  too. 

As  the  sheep  ranches  spread  over  Patagonia,  the 
panthers  are  killed  off  as  vermin.  The  flesh  is  freely 
eaten  by  everybody  in  Patagonia.  Some  like  it  roasted 
best,  but  most  people  prefer  it  boiled.  Roasted  it  tastes 
like  young  pig.  It  is  particularly  esteemed  because 
usually  fat.  The  Patagonia  plainsmen,  as  well  as  the 
Indians,  consume  fat  as  an  Eskimo  does.  This  is  not 
because  the  weather  is  cold,  as  the  arctic  explorer  imag- 
ined, but  because  they  live  on  a  meat  diet  exclusively. 
Vegetables  supply  the  constituents  to  civilized  folks 
which  lean  meat  lacks.  The  fat  meat  is  sufficient  of 
itself. 

Of  the  hunting  habits  of  the  panther  many  stories  are 
told,  and  from  these  one  learns  that  it  is  about  the  laziest 
hunter  in  the  world  as  well  as  the  most  playful.  It 
creeps  up  slowly  on  the  guanaco  herds,  picks  out  a  fat 
one,  and  then  with  quivering  fur  and  flaming  eyes  it 
leaps  at  its  victim.  Two  mighty  bounds,  no  more,  no 
less,  and  it  lands  on  the  back  of  the  guanaco,  and  with 
a  sweep  of  its  right  paw  it  dislocates  its  victim's  neck. 
Down  the  two  go  in  a  heap,  and  then  the  panther  tears 
open  the  neck  of  the  guanaco  and  drinks  the  hot  sweet 
blood  that  gushes  out.  This  done,  the  carcass  is  usually 
covered   up  with  brush,  as  if  for   future  use,  but  as  a 


BEASTS  ODD   AND   WILD.  1 95 

matter  of  fact  the  condors  or  other  carrion  birds  usually 
pick  the  bones. 

That,  at  least,  is  the  story  of  a  panther's  attack  when 
it  is  lucky.  Half  the  time  the  guanaco  hears  or  smells 
its  enemy  in  time  to  leap  away  in  safety.  The  panther 
never  chases  its  game,  even  when  it  gets  so  close  as  to 
tear  bloody  stripes  in  its  flank. 

At  times  the  panther  finds  the  herd  feeding  in  the 
open,  where  no  shelter  behind  which  it  can  reach  its  prey 
is  to  be  had.  Thereat  the  wily  panther  lies  down  on  its 
back  behind  a  bush  that  may  be  afar  off,  and  claws  the 
air,  first  with  one  paw,  then  with  another,  and  then  with 
both.  Up  will  come  its  hind  legs  next,  or  its  tail  will 
stand  erect,  with  the  tip  waving  from  side  to  side. 
These  motions  are  something  guanaco  curiosity  cannot 
resist.  The  guanaco  comes  to  the  decoy  by  starts  and 
hesitating  runs,  but  it  comes,  and  so  meets  its  death. 

It  is  a  fine  savage,  the  panther.  Shepherds  told  me  of 
losing  from  forty  to  one  hundred  and  twenty  sheep  in  a 
night,  the  mother  with  young  cubs  being  the  most  de- 
structive— not  that  she  may  feed  her  young,  but  because 
she  is  then  most  playful.  She  kills  for  fun.  The 
guanaco  is  the  panther's  staple  food,  but  horses,  sheep, 
and  young  cattle  are  all  liked  by  it.  Indeed,  no  living 
being  of  the  desert  except  man  escapes  its  appetite  for 
murder,  one  may  say,  for  it  claws  down  the  whirring 
partridge  as  she  springs  from  her  nest,  which  it  afterwards 
robs  of  its  eggs  ;  it  kills  the  ostrich  as  he  sits  on  his  nest, 
and  then,  after  hiding  his  body,  it  returns  to  the  nest  and 
eats  the  eggs  with  gusto  ;  it  snatches  the  duck  or  the 
goose  from  its  feeding  place  at  the  edge  of  a  lagoon  ;  it 
crushes  the  shell  of  the  waddling  armadillo  ;  it  digs  the 
mouse  from  its  nest  in  the  grass  ;  it  stalks  the  desert 


iq6       the  gold  diggings  of  cape  horn. 

prairie  dog  {Vizcacha  Lagostomus  Trichodactylus),  and, 
dodging  with  easy  motion  the  fangs  of  the  serpent,  it 
turns  to  claw  and  strip  out  its  life  before  it  can  coil  to 
strike  again. 

And  yet,  with  all  this,  it  makes  a  charming  household 
pet.  I  never  heard  of  one  being  kept  longer  than  three 
years,  but  none  of  those  described  as  pets  was  ever  killed 
for  personal  harm  done  to  or  even  ill-temper  shown 
toward  a  human  being.  The  shepherds  and  gauchos 
agree  that  the  panther  is  always  a  kitten  at  heart,  so  far 
as  man  is  concerned,  but  it  has  an  instinctive  dislike  for 
dogs  and  love  for  colts  and  lambs.  These  failings,  in 
spite  of  good  training,  will  sooner  or  later  get  a  panther 
into  trouble  on  the  ranch,  and  then  even  the  wife  and 
children  plead  in  vain  for  its  life. 

If  it  be  thought  interesting  that  a  tree-climbing  cat 
like  the  panther  should  flourish  on  the  treeless  plains  of 
Patagonia,  then  it  is  remarkable  that  two  kinds  of  the 
colored  man's  choicest  game,  the  'possum,  should  thrive 
in  the  same  locality.  In  regions  where  there  never  was 
a  tree,  and  never  will  be  one  naturally,  the  'possum,  with 
its  prehensile  tail  dragging  uselessly  behind  it,  lives  as 
comfortably,  and  makes  just  as  good  a  roast,  as  ever  it 
did  where  the  pawpaws  grow.  That  it  has  lived  thus  for 
ages  on  the  treeless  mesa  no  one  need  doubt  ;  but  when 
by  chance  one  is  transported  from  the  plain  to  a  region 
of  trees,  to  the  valley  of  the  Rio  Negro,  for  instance, 
the  old  tree-climbing  instinct  is  found  as  strong  as  ever, 
A  mother  'possum  that  had  ten  young  ones  as  large  as 
rats,  was  once  taken  from  her  nest  to  a  plantation  with 
trees,  and  straightway,  without  any  hesitation,  she 
climbed  nimbly  up,  carrying  her  family  with  her  in  the 
usual  fashion — clinging  all  over  her  back  and  sides. 
Nor  had  the  use  of  her  tail  been  forgotten. 


BEASTS  ODD  AND   WILD.  1 9/ 

So  much  for  the  ordinary  'possum.  There  is  another 
sort  found  that  is  no  doubt  indigenous,  and  it  is  of  a 
kind  to  make  the  eyes  of  a  colored  brother  bulge  with 
astonishment,  for  it  is  at  maturity  the  size  of  a  small 
meadow  mole.  There  are  bushes  on  the  desert  large 
enough  to  serve  these  little  fellows  as  trees,  and  they  are, 
therefore,  able  to  follow  their  instinctive  desire  to  climb 
and  hang  head  down  by  the  tail,  but  the  spectacle  of  one 
of  the  little  'possum  mothers  climbing  about  a  desert 
bush  with  her  tiny  young  clinging  to  her  is  one  of  the 
most  interesting  sights  in  nature. 

Another  animal  that  is  at  least  in  one  respect  allied  to 
the  'possum  is  the  coypu.  It  might,  perhaps,  be  called 
an  aquatic  'possum  because  of  its  hairless  tail  and  its 
habit  of  carrying  its  young  on  its  back.  The  naturalists, 
however,  say  it  is  more  like  the  beaver  than  any  other 
North  American  beast,  and  it  certainly  has  a  remarkably 
beautiful  pelage.  Its  flesh  is  very  good  to  eat,  but  it  is 
chiefly  hunted  for  the  fur.  The  feature  of  this  animal, 
however,  that  at  once  attracts  the  attention  of  a  stranger 
is  the  location  of  the  nipples  of  the  mother  on  her  back 
instead  of  on  her  breast  and  belly,  as  in  ordinary 
mammals.  When  seen  swimming  about  with  her  young 
on  her  back,  as  is  her  custom,  the  nipples  are  found 
above  the  water  line  extending  in  a  row  from  shoulder  to 
hip,  where  the  young  can  nurse  as  they  are  carried 
along. 

Of  the  weasels,  one  kind  is  described  as  much  larger 
than  those  in  the  United  States.  They  travel  in  packs 
like  wolves  when  hunting,  and  are  said  to  have  the  most 
malignant  and  devilish  faces  of  any  beast  of  the  desert. 
All  birds  and  rodents  that  get  within  their  grasp  are  torn 
to  pieces  in  savage  fashion. 

Along  the  Andes  many  Virginia  deer  are  found,  but  it 


1 98         THE   GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HOUN: 

is  only  near  the  forests.  They  emit  a  rank  odor  from 
the  leg  glands  that  is  said  to  be  fatal  to  the  desert  snakes. 
The  gray  fox  flourishes  everywhere  and  grows  to  a  rather 
larger  size  than  in  the  United  States,  but  he  is  remarka- 
ble for  being  very  short-winded.  At  least,  he  is  easily 
tired  out.  A  race  of  a  few  hundred  yards  with  a  desert 
horse  uses  him  up,  and  he  falls  a  victim  to  the  well-nigh 
unerring  bolas  of  the  plainsmen.  He  is  not  often  killed 
by  the  Indians,  for  he  is  not  fit  to  eat,  but  the  shepherds 
slay  him  at  sight  because  of  the  number  of  lambs  he  kills 
in  the  season. 

Then  there  is  the  skunk,  a  counterpart  in  all  respects 
of  the  skunk  of  the  States.  Skunks  are  very  numerous 
in  all  parts,  and  often  serve  the  Indians  as  food  when 
larger  game  fails.  It  is  an  interesting  fact,  too,  that  the 
Indians  capture  them  when  young  and  make  pets  of  them. 
There  is  rarely  a  collection  of  wigwams  on  the  desert 
without  a  couple  of  tame  skunks  playing  about. 

The  skunks,  whentame,  seem  in  all  respects  inoffensive. 
The  gauchos  I  met  when  told  that  a  skunk's  bite  is  sup- 
posed in  parts  of  the  United  States  to  cause  a  malady 
akin  to  hydrophobia  were  incredulous.  They  had  never 
heard  of  such  a  thing. 

Any  reference  to  the  animals  of  Patagonia  that 
omitted  the  armadillo  would  be  noticeably  defective. 
It  is  an  animal  with  habits  that  must  interest  an  ama- 
teur naturalist  greatly.  There  are  two  forms  of  the  ar- 
madillo. Roughly  speaking,  one  is  like  a  hairy  guinea 
pig  with  a  pointed  turtle  shell  over  its  back  and  head, 
while  the  other  is  like  a  thick  turtle  without  any  breast- 
plate. The  former  is  very  rare  even  in  its  haunts  on 
the  Andes.  The  latter  is  everywhere  abundant.  As 
described  by  all  who  have  seen  it,  the  latter  will  eat  and 


BEASTS  ODD  AND   WILD.  1 99 

get  fat — very  fat — on  anything  from  grass  roots  to  de- 
cayed fish  or  cattle,  from  an  ant  to  a  poisonous  serpent, 
from  strawberries  to  rats  and  mice.  In  the  wilderness 
it  roams  about  by  day  because  the  cats  of  the  desert 
persecute  it  most  at  night.  Near  the  settlements,  where, 
by  the  way,  it  thrives  best,  it  is  abroad  at  night,  because 
man  persecutes  it  in  the  day.  Slow  moving,  as  it  seems 
to  be  when  the  traveller  sees  it  at  sunset,  it  overtakes 
the  serpents  of  the  region  in  a  fair  race,  and  kills  them 
by  squatting  on  them  and  sawing  its  body  to  and  fro  so 
that  the  edges  of  its  protective  shell  cut  the  snake  to 
pieces.  It  captures  mice  by  sneaking  on  them  cat- 
fashion  and  throwing  its  body  over  them  like  a  trap. 
It  grubs  for  worms  ;  it  robs  nests  of  eggs  and  fledglings. 
Now,  although  it  eats  a  great  many  things  that  are  re- 
pulsive to  civilized  tastes,  the  armadillo  is  itself  a  most 
delicious  article  of  food  for  any  human  taste,  civilized 
or  uncivilized.  In  my  journeys  as  a  reporter  of  The 
Sun  I  have  eaten  nearly  every  kind  of  fish,  flesh,  and 
fowl  served  between  Ivigtut,  Greenland,  and  Ushuaia, 
Tierra  del  Fuego,  but  found  nothing  quite  so  much  to 
my  taste  as  an  armadillo  baked  in  the  embers  of  an  out- 
door fire  on  the  desert  of  Patagonia.  Nor  was  my  judg- 
ment in  the  matter  influenced  by  hunger,  for  my  first 
armadillo  was  served  unexpectedly  after  a  plentiful  re- 
past of  good  beef  roasted  on  a  spit.  It  is  said  that 
armadillos  are  not  found  south  of  the  Santa  Cruz  River. 
They  are  indigenous  north  of  it,  but  the  river's  current 
is  an  impassable  barrier  to  keep  it  from  spreading 
south. 

All  travellers  familiar  with  the  desert  regions  of  the 
United  States  are  at  once  struck  on  reaching  Patagonia 
with  the  remarkable  similarity  between  the  two  coun- 


200         THE   GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORN. 

tries.  No  one  could  object  to  the  transplanting  of  ar- 
madillos to  the  prairies  and  deserts  of  the  United  States. 
They  prefer  animal  food  ;  they  are  good  scavengers. 
They  do  no  harm  to  crops,  but  on  the  contrary  aid 
materially  in  destroying  insects  and  other  crop  enemies. 
Indeed,  they  are  so  valuable  in  this  respect  that  the 
Agricultural  Department,  which  imported  bugs  of  one 
kind  to  destroy  others  that  were  ruining  California 
orange-growers,  might  well  take  into  consideration  a 
proposition  to  import  armadillos. 

Space  is  lacking  even  for  brief  reference  to  other  ani- 
mals. There  is  one  thing,  however,  about  the  majority 
of  all  the  desert  animals  that  must  strike  the  traveller  as 
the  most  remarkable  thing  in  nature.  The  big  guana- 
cos,  the  tiny  rodent,  half  a  dozen  different  kinds  of 
mammals,  besides  birds,  all  live  without  water.  I  do 
not  know  this  to  be  true,  but  every  plainsman  with  whom 
I  have  talked  said  it  was  so.  The  panther,  of  course, 
finds  a  substitute  in  the  blood  he  drinks,  but  there  are 
others  that  do  not  have  even  a  liquid  food.  They  live 
on  flesh  or  on  the  herbs  that  are  never  noticeable  for 
having  juices  in  them.  Still,  the  matter  is  not  without 
a  parallel  in  the  United  States,  for  the  prairie  dogs,  the 
rabbits,  and  the  reptiles  of  such  regions  as  the  Panhandle 
of  Texas  and  the  Colorado  Desert  live  in  like  fashion. 

On  the  whole,  Patagonia  is  one  of  the  parts  of  the 
world  for  the  hardy  lover  of  nature  to  see  when  he  goes 
a-travelling.  The  zoology  is,  indeed,  about  as  scant, 
numerically,  as  the  flora ;  but  here,  as  in  all  other 
things,  there  is  a  universal  law  of  compensation. 
Whatever  may  be  lacking  in  the  count  of  kinds  is  more 
than  made  up  in  the  interesting  characteristics  of  those 
to  be  found  there. 


CHAPTER  X. 


BIRDS   OF    PATAGONIA, 


A  LL  things  save  song  considered,  the  ostrich  is  the 
■^^  most  interesting  bird  of  Patagonia.  There  are 
really  two  kinds  of  ostriches  in  the  territory,  one  at  the 
north  and  one  at  the  south,  but  in  the  eyes  of  an  ordi- 
nary spectator  they  are  all  of  one  species. 

The  traveller  will  see  them  from  the  deck  of  the 
steamer  as  he  approaches  shore.  From  a  distance  they 
look  like  a  flock  of  overgrown  gray  turkeys  running 
around  the  desert.  The  angular  gait  of  a  turkey  in  pur- 
suit of  a  grasshopper  is  theirs.  That  the  ostrich  existed 
in  the  days  when  sunny  tropical  skies  hung  over  Pata- 
gonia is  a  fact  well  known  to  paleontologists.  There 
are  ostrich  bones  in  the  old  clay  beds  of  the  region  with 
those  of  the  glyptodon  and  the  monkey,  but  the  monkey 
was  wholly  extinguished  in  the  cataclysms  of  the  early 
ages,  while  the  ostrich,  being  better  able  to  adapt  him- 
self to  new  conditions,  survived,  and  is  even  now  almost 
holding  his  own  in  the  fight  for  existence  on  the  desert, 
in  spite  of  the  onslaughts  of  the  puma,  the  wild-cat,  the 
fox,  and  the  still  more  ruthless  hunters  who  have  human 
blood  in  their  veins. 

aoi 


202         THE    GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE   HORN. 

Just  how  it  is  that  ostriches  have  survived  can  be  un- 
derstood by  what  the  Patagonians  tell  of  them.  Thus 
the  birds  feed  on  flies,  grasshoppers — about  all  the  in- 
sects that  appear  in  their  region — and  they  do  this  from 
the  moment  they  break  their  way  through  their  egg- 
shells. They  are  able  to  make  their  own  living  from 
the  first.  Then,  too,  they  are  brought  into  being  in 
peculiar  fashion.  The  old  cock  bird  has  a  harem  of 
several  hens,  and  he  is  in  some  respects  a  marvellously 
good  head  of  a  family.  He  builds  a  nest  for  the  harem, 
and  the  hens  take  turns  in  depositing  their  eggs  in  it 
until  it  is  full.  Nests  having  forty  eggs  in  them  are  not 
uncommon.  When  the  nest  is  full  enough  the  old  cock 
takes  possession,  and  sits  on  and  cares  for  them  until 
they  are  hatched.  Meantime  the  females  go  wandering 
about  the  plains  having  a  good  time,  and,  incidentally, 
laying  eggs  where  there  is  no  nest — eggs  that  are  called 
"  strays  "  by  the  gauchos,  and  remain  fit  to  eat  for  many 
weeks  after  they  are  dropped. 

When  the  eggs  are  hatched  the  male  looks  after  the 
brood — leads  them  about  where  food  is  most  abundant, 
and  keeps  his  eyes  open  for  the  ever-near  dangers.  Al- 
though the  young  birds  do  not  at  first  recognize  an 
enemy  in  the  predacious  beasts  and  birds  that  surround 
them,  the  old  cock  remains  with  them  sounding  "  a  loud 
snorting  or  rasping  warning  call "  whenever  he  sees  a 
danger,  until  the  youngsters  know  the  dangers  for  them- 
selves— a  very  short  time  sufficing. 

The  habit  which  ostriches  have  of  sticking  their  heads 
into  the  sand,  leaving  the  body  exposed  to  danger,  has 
often  been  mentioned  in  books  and  used  as  an  illustra- 
tion of  what  a  fool  will  do.  But  when  one  comes  to 
study  the  ostrich  in  its  home  on  the  desert  the  habit 


BIRDS  OF  PATAGONIA.  203 

does  not  seem  at  all  foolish.  Indeed,  it  is  a  wise  pro- 
vision of  nature  for  the  safety  of  the  bird  in  a  region 
where  hiding  places  are  scarce.  When  a  brood  of  young 
ostriches  is  warned  by  their  guardian  they  instantly  fade 
out  of  sight.  Gauchos  told  me  that  they  had  surprised 
broods  of  more  than  a  score,  of  which  they  were  able  to 
find  no  more  than  three  or  four,  and  yet  those  birds  had 
no  more  shelter  for  hiding  than  was  afforded  by  a  dozen 
or  so  of  small  bushes.  Squatting  motionless,  with  his 
head  in  the  sand,  the  ostrich  is  so  near  in  color  like  the 
sand  and  the  scant  herbage  that  grows  there  that  even 
experienced  hunters  fail  to  see  him.  His  body  looks 
like  a  gray  desert  bush — so  much  like  it  that  a  man  may 
look  at  without  recognizing  it.  When  looking  for  young 
ostriches  the  gauchos  examine  every  bush  within  many 
rods  of  the  spot  where  a  brood  disappears,  and  so  find 
very  often  that  what  seemed  to  be  a  bush  was  wholly  or 
in  part  a  young  ostrich.  With  its  head  up,  of  course,  the 
ostrich  would  be  at  once  detected.  With  its  head  in  the 
sand  it  often  escapes  even  the  keen-eyed  fox,  the  gau- 
chos say. 

Ostriches  readily  learn  the  habits  of  their  persecutors. 
When  Patagonia  Avas  first  discovered  by  white  men  the 
aborigines  were  afoot,  and  the  ostriches,  being  hunted 
by  men  afoot,  were  accustomed  to  flee  at  the  sight  of  a 
man  afoot.  The  Spaniards  introduced  horses  on  the 
pampas  and  at  first  the  ostriches  were  not  greatly  fright- 
ened by  a  man  riding.  Very  soon,  however,  they  found 
the  mounted  man  dangerous.  For  some  hundreds  of 
years  only  mounted  men  pursued  the  ostriches,  and  they 
at  last  got  to  a  point  Avhere  they  did  not  fear  a  man  on 
foot.  Then  came  a  great  flood  of  emigrants  to  Buenos 
Ayres — chiefly    Englishmen    and    Italians,  both   classes 


204        THE   GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORN. 

everywhere  the  avowed  and  open  enemies  of  innocent 
bird  life.  These  took  guns  to  slay  the  ostrich,  and 
straightway  a  man  afoot  once  more  became  an  object  of 
terror,  while  the  smell  of  powder  smoke,  it  is  said,  will 
set  the  pampa  birds  running  away  when  the  gun  is  at  a 
distance  of  two  miles. 

Further  than  that,  a  ranch  owner  is  found  here  and 
there  who  will  not  permit  ostrich  hunting  on  his  grounds. 
The  birds  quickly  learn  where  they  are  safe  and  gather 
from  surrounding  districts  in  great  bands,  leaving  the 
hunted  grounds  bare.  And  what  is  more  remarkable 
still,  the  very  birds  that  will  flee  for  their  lives  when 
started  by  a  man  on  the  hunted  grounds  will  show  not 
the  least  concern  at  the  approach  of  a  man  when  they 
are  on  safe  ground. 

That  they  are  readily  domesticated  may  be  inferred 
from  this,  and  so  their  plumes  may  be  obtained  without 
killing  them.  But  not  many  are  kept  so,  because  the 
old  cocks  are  often  ugly  and  will  attack  even  men  accus- 
tomed to  feed  them. 

Because  the  ostrich,  though  having  wings,  is  unable  to 
fly,  it  furnished  such  sport  on  the  desert  as  may  rarely 
be  found  elsewhere.  Consider  the  healthful  dash  of  the 
athletic  young  men  and  women  when  hunting  on  Long 
Island.  Remember  the  old  time  southern  planter,  when 
with  thorough-breds  and  yelping  hounds  he  ran  to  death 
the  long-winded  red  fox.  And  then  there  are  the  races 
across  the  Colorado  plains  in  chase  of  a  coyote  or  an 
antelope  or  a  deer.  The  game  is  worth  the  struggle 
then,  and  the  struggle  is  worth — how  can  one  estimate 
the  value  of  such  a  mad  chase  ?  It  is  simply  glorious, 
but  there  is  a  race  better  still — the  race  for  the  life  of  an 
old  cock  ostrich.     With  both  wings  drooping  if  he  be  at 


BIRDS  OF  PATAGONIA.  205 

the  south,  but  with  one  up  and  spread  like  a  great  sail 
if  he  be  at  the  north,  he  stretches  out  his  neck  and  flees 
away.  The  sportsman  has  no  need  to  urge  a  well-broken 
desert  horse — it  will  turn  into  the  hot  trail  and  stretch 
out  in  pursuit  till  the  speed  sends  a  gale  whistling  past 
the  ears  of  the  rider  and  the  dust  from  his  heels  lingers 
above  the  mesa  like  the  smoke  from  a  flying  express. 

Nor  is  the  thrill  in  the  race  alone,  for  there  are  pitfalls 
in  the  shape  of  burrows  where  a  misstep  will  send  the 
rider  flying  sure  enough,  while  gullies  and  gulches  with 
perpendicular  walls  lie  here  and  there  across  the  trail. 
The  bird  with  widespread  wings  will  land  in  safety  after 
a  jump  over  a  precipice,  but  rider  and  horse  must  stop 
short  on  the  brink  or  plunge  to  certain  death. 

And  when  the  bird  is  overtaken  he  is  never  shot  to 
death.  The  sportsman  must  loose  the  bolas  from  his 
waist,  and,  swinging  them  with  whizzing  speed  around 
his  head,  launch  them  forth  at  the  right  moment  to  tan- 
gle the  feet  of  the  bird  before  it  can  dodge  the  blow. 
Men  pay  good  prices  in  the  States  to  see  a  Capt.  Brewer 
knock  down  a  pigeon  at  thirty  yards  with  a  scatter 
gun,  and  they  probably  get  the  worth  of  their  money, 
but  what  is  the  skill  of  a  pigeon  shooter  compared  with 
that  of  the  man  who  can  strike  a  running  ostrich  with 
the  bolas  at  a  range  of  sixty  yards  ? 

Among  the  gauchos  the  chase  of  the  ostrich  is  known 
as  "  the  wild  mirth  of  the  desert." 

The  ostrich  can  swim  after  a  fashion,  but  the  water  in 
cold  weather  numbs  its  legs  until  it  is  barely  able  to 
crawl  out  on  the  bank  after  crossing  a  stream.  The  In- 
dians take  advantage  of  this  and  drive  the  ostriches  to 
water  in  cold  weather. 

Once   upon    a   time    a    milk-white   ostrich    appeared 


206         THE    GOLD   DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORN. 

among  the  gray  birds  that  roamed  about  to  the  south  of 
Carmen  de  Patagones.  Its  conspicuous  color  at  once 
drew  the  Indians  and  gauchos  after  it,  but  for  some  rea- 
son their  attempts  to  kill  it  failed,  and  within  a  few  days 
the  belief  that  it  was  the  god  of  the  ostriches  was  spread 
among  the  hunters,  and  thereafter  their  superstitious 
fear  of  disaster  made  them  avoid  it  altogether.  It  was 
seen  for  some  years,  but  the  unsuperstitious  panther 
probably  got  it  at  last. 

Both  the  eggs  and  the  flesh  of  the  ostrich  are  counted 
good  eating,  the  wings  being  the  most  approved  part  of 
the  flesh. 

Next  in  point  of  interest  to  the  ostrich  are  the  various 
kinds  of  wild  fowl.  It  is  with  a  curious  feeling  that  the 
traveller  sees  ducks  singly  and  in  flocks  come  hastening 
toward  his  steamer  on  the  Patagonian  coast  instead  of 
flying  from  it  in  wild  alarm.  A  steamer  passes  each 
way  along  that  coast  once  in  three  or  four  weeks,  but 
the  curiosity  of  the  ducks  is  not  satisfied  by  that,  nor 
does  such  shooting  as  the  steamer  officers  do  serve  to 
frighten  them  to  a  noticeable  extent.  I  have  seen  a 
flock  that  had  been  driven  away  wdien  one  of  its  number 
had  been  shot  return  again  to  hover  above  the  spars, 
and  so  lose  a  second  and  even  a  third  individual. 

Then,  too,  in  the  harbors  flocks  of  ducks  fly  up  and 
down  and  often  alight  within  easy  gunshot  of  the  land- 
ings, while  a  gunner  in  a  boat  can  have  all  the  shooting 
he  wants  without  the  trouble  of  rigging  up  blinds  or  us- 
ing decoys.  In  fact  to  kill  ducks  was  too  easy  when  I 
was  there.  The  number  of  ducks  seen  was  not  pro- 
digious. There  was  no  wild  celery  or  wild  rice  for  food 
along  shore.  It  was,  indeed,  difficult  to  see  what  they 
found  to  feed  on   about  the  harbors,  but  enough  were 


BIRDS  OF  PATAGONIA.  20/ 

there  to  keep  a  shooter  busy.  This  refers  to  the  months 
of  April  and  May,  and  the  people  said  it  was  the  same 
the  year  round. 

The  best  sport  with  a  gun,  however,  is  to  be  had  with 
the  geese.  There  are  two  varieties,  and  both  are  quite 
numerous  enough  to  satisfy  any  one,  even  about  the 
harbors.  On  the  lakes — both  salt  and  fresh — back  in 
the  interior  they  are  found  really  by  the  million,  and  so, 
too,  are  the  ducks.  Around  the  harbors  the  geese  fre- 
quented the  low  marshes  and  the  borders  of  the  lagoons 
that  were  filled  with  water  at  high  tide.  No  one  among 
the  population  had  a  decoy,  and  the  birds  were  wild 
enough  to  get  up  at  very  long  range  if  a  man  approached 
them  openly  either  on  foot  or  on  horseback.  They  are 
much  swifter  on  the  wing  than  they  seem  to  be,  and  so  a 
sportsman  could  find  use  for  any  grade  of  skill  that  he 
possessed.  On  the  other  hand,  the  tenderfoot  would  not 
be  obliged  to  go  away  without  a  trophy.  It  is  an  open 
country,  so  that  the  birds  can  be  seen  a  long  way  off, 
but  there  are  bushes  enough  behind  which  one  may 
creep  within  easy  gunshot  range. 

As  trophies  the  geese  found  in  Patagonia  are  remark- 
ably beautiful.  The  Antarctic  gander  is  snow  white, 
with  a  bluish  bill,  while  the  female  is  colored  and  mot- 
tled in  a  way  that  makes  her  little,  if  any,  less  attractive 
to  the  eye  than  a  North  American  wood  duck.  The 
ducks,  on  the  other  hand,  are  not  especially  beautiful. 
The  teal  is  about  the  handsomest  of  the  lot. 

Black-necked  swans  are  common  enough,  the  bodies, 
save  for  the  head  and  neck,  being  entirely  white.  So, 
too,  are  swans  that  have  black  heads,  necks,  backs  and 
wings,  with  snov/-white  breasts.  This  is  a  most  beauti- 
ful bird,  and  when  roasted  gaucho  fashion  over  an  open 


2o8         THE   GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORN: 

fire  is  said  to  be  the  best  eating  of  any  bird  of  the  south 
end  of  the  continent. 

The  swans,  geese,  and  ducks  are  all  found  on  the  lakes 
7000  feet  or  more  above  the  sea,  as  well  as  on  the  sea- 
shore.    The  lakes  form  their  favorite  breeding-places. 

Another  bird  sure  to  interest  the  sportsman  is  the  Pata- 
gonian  prairie  chicken  known  as  the  tinamou.  It  lives 
on  the  most  arid  desert  as  well  as  near  the  streams. 
There  are  two  varieties.  The  larger  one  is  known  as 
the  rufous  and  the  smaller  one  as  the  spotted  tinamou. 
Both  give  as  good  shooting,  and  are  as  good  to  eat  as 
prairie  chickens  or  quails,  and  as  game  they  are  not  ma- 
terially different  from  their  North  American  cousins. 
But  the  spotted  fellow  has  peculiarities.  The  cowboys, 
when  a  flock  is  started,  make  a  dash  at  the  birds  with 
yells  and  howls  that  simply  unnerve  the  game.  The 
birds  squat  down  and  permit  themselves  to  be  lifted  up 
in  the  hands,  and  then,  after  a  gasp  or  two,  stretch  out 
as  if  dead.  If  in  this  case,  however,  the  bird  be  released 
from  the  hand,  it  springs  away  with  a  partridge-like 
whirr  that  is  startling  even  to  the  experienced.  More 
curious  still,  when  the  number  of  charging  gauchos  is 
enough  to  surround  the  flock,  and  the  noise  and  excite- 
ment is  in  consequence  great,  the  birds  are  actually 
frightened  to  death.  The  gauchos  are  a  heartless  lot  as 
a  class,  and  many  birds  that  are  only  simulating  death 
are  mutilated  in  the  most  cruel  fashion. 

We  now  come  to  the  birds  that  are  interesting  to  the 
naturalist  as  distinguished  from  the  sportsman,  although 
the  list  of  edible  birds  has  been  by  no  means  exhausted. 
Of  these  the  gulls,  cormorants,  and  penguins  will  first 
attract  the  attention  of  the  traveller.  The  Cape  Horn 
pigeon,  a  gull  the  size  of  a  pigeon,  is  the  most  beautiful 


BIRDS  OF  PATAGONIA.  209 

picture  in  black  and  white  I  ever  saw.  It  hovers  about 
the  ship  in  the  most  friendly  fashion  and  with  never  a 
quiver  or  flop  of  the  wings  sails  right  into  the  teeth  of 
the  hardest  gale — rising  or  sinking  at  will.  But  when 
caught  in  a  flaw  of  wind  near  a  wave-crest  it  gives  a  few 
energetic  wing  beats,  and  then  is  away  again  as  easily 
as  before. 

The  ability  to  sail  directly  into  the  wind  with  wings 
held  extended  and  without  flopping,  which  all  seagulls 
possess,  can  nowhere  be  more  readily  studied  than  on  the 
Patagonia  coast. 

Here,  too,  one  sees  the  albatross,  the  largest  of  sea- 
birds.  With  its  gray  and  white  plumage  and  a  spread  of 
wings  of  from  eight  to  ten  feet  (the  sailors  said  speci- 
mens of  fifteen  feet  spread  were  found),  it  is  a  remarka- 
ble sight  for  the  inexperienced  traveller.  Captain  Cook, 
when  near  Cape  Horn,  found  the  albatross  made  a  very 
good  meal,  so  that  it  was  preferred  to  any  meat  the  crew 
of  the  Endcavo)-  had,  but  in  modern  times  the  sailors 
believe  that  killing  an  albatross  will  bring  disaster  to  a 
ship,  even  more  quickly  than  spilling  salt  brings  bad  luck 
to  some  shore  folks. 

The  penguin  is  interesting  because  it  flies  through  the 
water  as  some  birds  fly  through  the  air.  It  beats  the 
water  with  its  muscular  wings,  which,  by  the  way,  have 
only  short  and  hair-like  feathers  on  them.  The  penguins 
are  good  to  eat  in  spite  of  a  fish  diet,  but  are  not  sought 
after  by  any  one  in  Patagonia.  In  the  Cape  Horn  region 
the  Indians  pursue  them  eagerly. 

Then  for  the  Yankee  traveller  who  is  interested  in  bird 
life,  there  are  the  shore  birds  that  nest  in  the  Arctic 
region,  even  in  Greenland — but  at  the  call  of  the  migrat- 
ing instinct  hurry  away  south  when  the  northern  winter 


2IO         THE   GOLD  DIGGINGS   OF  CAPE  HORN. 

comes,  to  land  at  last  on  the  desert  shores  of  Patagonia. 
There  are  at  least  thirteen  varieties  of  shore  birds  that 
do  this.  That  is  a  most  remarkable  journey.  There  are 
other  birds  found  in  north  Patagonia  in  the  winter  time 
that  go  away  south  in  the  summer,  but  how  far  south 
they  go  no  one  knows.  When  I  was  in  the  Beagle  channel 
I  made  diligent  inquiry  about  the  birds  going  away  south, 
hoping  to  learn  something  to  indicate  whether  or  not 
South  American  birds  visit  the  unknown-regions  of  the 
Antarctic  continent,  but  the  people  down  there  had 
never  been  interested  in  such  subjects  as  bird  migration. 
In  fact,  I  am  conscious  that  such  subjects  as  digging 
gold  and  raising  sheep  are  of  interest  to  many  more  peo- 
ple in  the  United  States  than  anything  that  can  be  said 
of  birds,  unless  it  be  the  market  value  of  bird  skins. 

However,  there  are  some  doings  among  Patagonia 
birds  still  to  be  considered,  because  they  are  strange  as 
well  as  beautiful.  For  instance,  there  is  a  spurwinged 
lapwing  that  dances,  what  Spanish-Americans  call  a 
serious  dance,  such  a  dance  as  a  quadrille. 

"  The  birds  are  so  fond  of  it,"  says  one  who  has  seen 
the  dance  often,  "  that  they  indulge  in  it  all  the  year 
round,  and  at  frequent  intervals  during  the  day,  also  on 
moonlight  nights.  If  a  person  watches  any  two  birds 
for  some  time — for  they  live  in  pairs — he  will  see  an- 
other lapwing,  one  of  a  neighboring  couple,  rise  up  and 
fly  to  them,  leaving  his  own  mate  to  guard  their  chosen 
ground  ;  and  instead  of  resenting  this  visit  as  an  unwar- 
ranted intrusion  on  their  domain,  as  they  would  certainly 
resent  the  approach  of  almost  any  other  bird,  they  wel- 
come it  with  notes  and  signs  of  pleasure.  Advancing  to 
the  visitor,  they  place  themselves  behind  it  ;  then  all 
three,  keeping  step,  begin  a  rapid  march,  uttering  reso- 


BIRDS  OF  PATAGONIA.  211 

nant  drumming  notes  in  time  with  their  movements,  the 
notes  of  the  pair  behind  coming  in  a  stream  like  a  drum 
roll,  while  the  leader  utters  loud  single  notes  at  regular 
intervals.  Then  the  march  ceases  ;  the  leader  elevates 
his  wings  and  stands  erect  and  motionless,  still  uttering 
loud  notes,  while  the  other  two,  with  puffed  out  plum- 
age and  standing  exactly  abreast,  stoop  forward  and 
downward  until  their  beaks  touch  the  ground,  and,  sink- 
ing their  rythmical  voices  to  a  murmur,  remain  in  this 
posture." 

That  ends  the  performance.  One  kind  of  the  rails  has 
a  different  gathering.  It  is  a  long-legged  bird,  with  a 
body  as  big  as  the  ordinary  barnyard  hen.  These  birds 
always  have  a  dancing  platform  in  the  shape  of  a  smooth 
piece  of  ground,  well  concealed  in  the  tall  grass  or  reeds 
near  the  water  they  frequent.  The  invitation  for  the 
dance  is  a  loud  cry  repeated  three  times  in  succession  by 
one  bird.  They  are  a  fun-loving  race,  and  instantly 
gather  at  their  old  resort  when  the  call  is  heard.  The 
moment  they  reach  the  open  ground  they  spread  their 
wings,  elevate  their  heads,  and  open  their  mouths.  Then, 
with  vibrating  wings  and  yells  as  of  lost  spirits,  they  rush 
from  side  to  side.  From  piercing  shrieks  their  voices 
descend  to  moans  and  cries  that  sound  like  human 
beings  in  mortal  pain,  and  then  once  more  screams  of 
anguish  arise.  It  is  the  song  and  dance  of  the  rail,  but 
the  performance  sounds  like  the  voices  of  men  and 
women  in  the  hands  of  demons. 

The  black-faced  ibises  mentioned  by  Darwin  as  a 
common  species  at  Port  Desire  have  a  most  remarkable 
song  and  dance,  so  to  speak,  in  mid-air.  As  they  fly 
along  toward  the  roosting-place  at  sundown  they  will, 
without  warning,  dash  themselves  toward  the  ground. 


212         THE   GOLD  DIGGINGS    OF  CAPE  HORN. 

twisting  and  gyrating  about  in  all  directions,  to  rise 
again  in  like  frenzied  fashion,  while  they  scream  in  wild 
glee,  albeit  their  voices  are  anything  but  cheerful  to  a 
human  being. 

On  the  lagoons  south  of  the  Rio  Gallegos  is  found  a 
kind  of  a  duck  that  has  a  curious  performance  in  the 
air,  also.  The  birds  in  small  flocks  rise  to  a  great  height 
and  then  divide  into  two  lines,  which  alternately  separate 
and  come  together,  while  all  whistle  and  call  in  the  hap- 
piest manner.  As  the  two  lines  close  up  together  they 
strike  each  other  with  their  wings  with  a  sound  some- 
thing like  the  spatting  of  hands  at  a  minstrel  jig.  The 
performance  may  last  an  hour. 

Let  no  one  infer  from  what  has  been  said  here  of 
songs  and  screams  that  the  desert  is  a  noisy  place.  It 
is,  on  the  contrary,  distinctively  the  silent  land.  One 
may  ride  all  day  and  yet  hear  nothing  but  the  beating  of 
the  horse's  feet  and  the  brushing  of  his  own  feet  against 
the  bushes.  Even  the  fierce  wind  does  not  whistle  or 
even  sigh  through  the  brush.  In  this  land  the  birds, 
save  only  the  water  fowl,  are  as  a  whole  silent  or  low- 
voiced.  To  one  who  has  heard  the  constant  and  tre- 
mendous noises  the  birds  of  the  tropical  forest  make  the 
contrast  is  something  wonderful. 

Of  the  other  birds  that  the  traveller  may  see  a  brief 
space  must  suffice.  Condors,  with  an  eight-foot  spread 
of  wing,  are  common  in  the  Andean  region,  and  are 
rather  numerous  at  Port  Desire  and  among  the  rocks  up 
the  river  there.  The  carancho  is  a  great  white-breasted 
bird,  that  is  something  like  an  eagle  and  something  like 
a  buzzard  ;  it  is  everywhere  abundant.  Seated  on  the 
top  of  a  bush  on  the  gray-brown  expanse  of  the  desert, 
it  is  a  most  conspicuous  object  to  the  eye.     Both  con- 


BIRDS  OF  PATAGONIA.  213 

dors  and  caranchos  follow  the  panther,  to  feast  on  the 
game  it  slays  for  fun.  The  shepherds  say  they  watch 
these  birds  when  hunting  panthers,  and  where  a  number 
of  them  gather  somewhat  excitedly,  they  invariably  find 
a  panther  hiding  near  the  dead  carcass  of  some  animal. 
Both  kinds  of  birds,  too,  have  the  faculty  of  seeing 
when  an  animal  of  any  kind  is  from  any  cause  so  near 
to  death  as  to  be  unable  to  defend  itself,  and  so  gather 
to  tear  the  unfortunate  beast  to  pieces  while  yet  alive. 
In  the  old  days,  when  Punta  Arenas  was  a  convict  sta- 
tion, the  prisoners  often  escaped  to  the  desert  singly  or 
in  twos  or  threes.  Hardy  ones  were  known  to  work 
their  way  at  times  to  the  Argentine  with  the  aid  of 
Indians  or  even  alone,  but  the  majority  fell  by  the  way. 
Their  fate  was  pitiful.  With  the  lack  of  food  and  the 
gnawing  of  thirst,  their  strength  gave  way  until  they 
could  but  stagger  on  with  faces  to  the  north.  And  as 
they  staggered  came  shadows  circling  over  the  sand 
about  them.  Then  the  shadows  became  substance  in 
the  form  of  black-winged  condors  and  white-crested 
vultures  of  fierce  aspects  and  an  eager  hunger  for  living 
human  flesh.  The  unfortunate  would  rouse  himself  to 
shout  and  hurl  stones  at  this  devilish  host — for  a  time 
with  success,  but  sooner  or  later  he  would  stumble  and 
fall,  and  then  they  came  and  tore  him  to  pieces. 

Remarkable  as  it  must  seem  to  the  reader,  parrots  are 
found  in  the  forests  of  the  Andes  as  far  south  as  the 
heads  of  the  Gallegos  River.  They  can  be  taught  to 
talk,  too,  and  are,  in  fact,  very  much  like  tropical  par- 
rots in  all  respects.  They  exist  in  the  Rio  Negro  region 
in  great  flocks. 

There  is  but  one  species  of  bird  there,  they  say,  that 
does  not  fear  the  feathered  cats  of  the  air,  and  that  is  a 


J 


214 


THE    GOLD   DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORN. 


species  which  one  naturally  would  not  expect  to  find  in 
Patagonia  at  all — the  humming  bird.  It  does  not  seem 
to  be  a  region  of  flowers  and  honey,  as  we  commonly 
expect  a  humming  bird's  resort  to  be,  though  it  abounds 
in  insects  such  as  humming  birds  like,  but  both  flowers 
and  honey  are  there,  and  so,  too,  are  several  kinds  of 
humming  birds  in  the  summer  season. 

As  has  been  said,  let  the  Yankee  tourist  who  is  a  lover 
of  nature  visit  Patagonia,  if  only  to  see  and  study  the 
birds.  We  Americans  generally  ask  when  something  is 
proposed  for  us  to  do  whether  it  will  pay.  I  am  not 
sure  that  even  a  Yankee  could  make  money  out  of  a 
tour  through  this  desert,  but  if  any  one  has  made  his 
pile  high  enough  so  that  he  can  afford  to  go  away  and 
see  some  other  part  of  the  world,  let  him  travel  out  of 
the  way — go  to  Patagonia  and  Punta  Arenas  instead  of 
Paris. 


CHAPTER  XL 

SHEEP    IN    PATAGONIA. 

A  T  the  port  of  Gallegos,  I  had  a  long  conversation 
^  with  Edelmiro  Mayer,  Governor  of  the  Patagonian 
territory  of  Santa  Cruz.  The  greater  part  of  this  talk 
was  devoted  to  the  sheep  business,  the  one  productive 
industry  of  the  region  that  now  pays  a  profit  to  all  hav- 
ing capital  in  it.  Of  the  stories  that  he  told  a  few  will 
serve  as  samples  illustrating  the  growth  of  the  sheep 
business  in  this  new  country. 

John  Hamilton  and  James  Saunders,  British  subjects, 
went  to  Patagonia  in  1885,  arriving  there  with  .;^5oo 
each  and  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the  sheep  business. 
They  bought  some  land  and  rented  some  more  from  the 
Government,  and  expended  the  rest  of  their  money  in  a 
flock  of  sheep,  uniting  their  funds  as  partners.  As  time 
went  on,  and  they  were  able  to  sell  wool,  they  invested 
their  gains  in  more  sheep  and  more  land.  In  the  season 
of  1893  they  sheared  42,000  sheep  and  were  the  owners 
of  fifty-eight  square  leagues  of  land,  of  which  twenty 
leagues  were  paid  for  in  full,  and  the  mortgage  on  the 
rest  was  in  such  shape  as  to  give  them  no  uneasiness. 
By  the  estimate  of  Gov.  Mayer  the  sale  of  the  wool  from 

215 


2l6         THE   GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORN. 

the  42,000  sheep  in  1894  paid  the  owners  just  $42,000 
gold  clean  profit  above  all  the  expenses. 

Another  Englishman — I  have  lost  his  name — went  to 
Patagonia  in  1886  with  no  capital  save  his  knowledge  of 
the  sheep  bnsiness  and  a  good  reputation.  Having 
abundant  testimonials  as  to  his  character  and  qualifica- 
tions, he  got  sheep  and  the  use  of  land  on  credit :  a 
capitalist  was  found  to  grub  stake  him,  as  the  miners 
say.  In  1893  this  man  sold  out  his  accumulations  for 
;^ 26,000,  and  with  his  wife  and  children  went  back  to 
England  to  live  like  a  lord. 

I  saw  a  man  at  Gallegos  who  had  gone  there  to  work 
as  a  carpenter.  He  did  not  have  $10  when  he  arrived — 
in  fact,  he  went  there  in  the  steerage  of  one  of  the  Gov- 
ernment transports.  He  had  been  in  Gallegos  less  than 
three  years,  and  he  had  a  family  to  support  out  of  his 
earnings  meantime.  Nevertheless,  he  was  the  owner  of 
1000  sheep,  of  which  two  thirds  were  ewes.  In  the  ordi- 
nary course,  as  matters  run,  he  will  be  a  man  of  inde- 
pendent income  in  five  years. 

There  are  three  sailors  in  the  country,  who,  within  five 
years,  were  wrecked  on  the  coast  and  landed  with  noth- 
ing but  the  clothes  on  their  backs.  They  went  to  work 
on  sheep  ranches,  and  now  have  several  thousand  sheep 
each. 

"  And  how  many  men  have  gone  into  the  sheep  busi- 
ness and  failed  ? "  said  I,  when  Gov.  Mayer  had  told  of 
these  things. 

"  Not  one." 

"  Have  any  big  companies  tried  it .''" 

"  Yes,  down  on  the  Chili  territory." 

"Have  any  of  them  failed?" 

"  Not  yet.     On  the  contrary,  all  have  paid  big  divi- 


SHEEP  IN  PATAGONIA.  21  "J 

dends,  but,  of  course,  a  company  may  be  made  to  fail 
by  its  manager.  The  business  in  the  hands  of  individ- 
uals of  moderate  means  is  just  now  the  best  in  the  world. 
It  is  better  than  loo  per  cent." 

"  I  should  think  everybody  in  Buenos  Ayres,  Valpa- 
raiso, London,  and  every  other  money  centre  dealing 
with  this  region  would  be  rushing  into  it,  then." 

"  The  country  is  filling  up  rapidly,  but  of  course  capi- 
talists are  generally  shy  of  a  business  that  offers  such  big 
dividends.  Besides,  one  must  learn  the  sheep  business 
if  he  would  get  rich  at  it,  even  here." 

*'  How  much  land  remains  now  for  the  capitalist  to 
buy?" 

"  In  Santa  Cruz  territory  there  are  to  be  had  2500 
square  leagues  of  strictly  first-class  land.  It  will  carry 
more  than  1000  sheep  per  league,  and  it  is  held  by  the 
Government  at  from  $2500  to  $3000  gold  per  league, 
according  to  location.  You  can  find  about  12,000  square 
leagues  more  of  fair  land  that  can  be  had  at  prices  con- 
siderably less.  It  would  perhaps  prove  a  better  invest- 
ment in  the  long  run.  The  territory  has  about  12,000 
leagues  of  worthless  land — lava  beds,  etc.,  utterly  barren 
— almost  too  poor  to  support  a  guanaco. 

"  Of  course,  a  very  poor  man  cannot  buy  even  a  single 
league  of  good  land,  and  he  does  n't  need  to  buy.  One 
ought  to  have  some  capital  with  which  to  buy  sheep, 
but  the  land  can  be  rented  for  periods  of,  say,  ten  years, 
subject  to  purchase  at  a  stated  price.  If  one  can  raise 
the  money  for  the  sheep,  the  land  need  not  trouble  him. 
The  rental  of  the  best  land  is  but  $20  gold,  per  year  for 
a  league." 

"  What  is  the  cost  of  sheep  now  to  a  man  who  would 
invest  ? " 


2l8         THE   GOLD  DIGGINGS   OF  CAPE  HORN. 

"  From  %2  to  $2.50  gold  per  ewe.  Rams  cost  from 
£,2  each  up  to  any  price  you  want  to  pay  for  fancy 
stock.  The  ordinary  ram  at  J[^2  is  the  one  to  buy 
now." 

"  Then,  for  a  fair  beginning,  how  much  capital  should 
a  man  have  ?  " 

"  Five  thousand  dollars  gold." 

"  But  how  did  the  sailors,  with  neither  capital  nor  a 
knowledge  of  the  business,  get  on  ?  " 

"  They  accumulated  both  by  hard  work,  and  it  still  can 
be  done  readily.  The  sheep  owners  are  always  glad  to 
hire  sober  young  men  who  are  ambitious  to  learn  the 
business  and  willing  to  endure  the  incident  hardships. 
Their  terms  are  not  very  attractive  perhaps.  The  learner 
signs  a  contract  to  work  for  four  years.  The  first  year 
he  gets  no  wages  in  cash.  His  food  and  shepherd's  out- 
fit are  supplied,  but  he  must  clothe  himself.  The  next 
year  he  will  receive  from  ^2  to  jQ^i  P^'"  month,  and  the 
last  year  from  £^  to  ^5  a  month,  according  to  his  abil- 
ity. He  must  be  a  first-class  man  to  get  ^5,  however. 
Meantime,  if  he  has  any  capital,  he  can  keep  as  many 
sheep  of  his  own  as  he  wants,  not  to  exceed  1000  to  be- 
gin with.  These  he  may  pasture  on  the  owner's  land 
and  the  owner  furnishes  the  rams  to  run  with  them.  He 
may  also  keep  the  increase  of  this  flock  of  sheep  on  the 
owner's  range,  so  that  at  the  end  of  his  four  years'  ap- 
prenticeship he  not  only  may  have  his  experience,  but  he 
should  have  not  less  than  7000  head  of  sheep.  That, 
of  course,  is  for  the  youth  with  capital  to  start  with. 
With  no  capital  he  would  get  on  slowly,  for  his  wages 
will  not  buy  many  sheep." 

"  In  the  United  States  the  presence  of  young  men 
ambitious  to  become  owners  of  herds  very  often  serves 


SHEEP  IN  PATAGONIA.  219 

to  deplete  the  holdings  of  those  who  are  capitalists," 
said  I.  "  These  young  men  sometimes  gather  calves 
that  do  not  belong  to  them  and  re-mark  full-grown  ani- 
mals.    Are  you  troubled  so  in  Patagonia  ?  " 

"  Not  yet.  We  have  read  about  your  rustlers,  but 
have  had  no  experience  with  them,  though  sheep  are 
more  easily  stolen  than  cattle." 

"Are  you  ever  troubled  with  drought  ?  " 

"  Not  in  southern  Patagonia.  This  country  is  really 
a  desert,  and  yet  it  is  well  watered  ;  by  which  I  mean 
that  there  are  plenty  of  lakes  and  springs  south  of  the 
Gallegos,  although  the  region  between  these  waters  is 
either  very  like  a  shingle  beach  or  a  rock-strewn  waste." 

In  Punta  Arenas  everybody  seemed  able  and  willing 
to  talk  about  sheep.  Men  who  owned  large  herds  were 
in  all  cases  enthusiastic  over  the  present  outlook  of  the 
business,  but  their  figures  were  a  trifle  less  booming  than 
those  of  Gov.  Mayer.  Thus  one  man  who  was  manager 
for  a  French  company  owning  something  over  100,000 
sheep,  with  the  necessary  horses,  said  that  they  made 
three  francs  on  every  head  clear  of  all  expenses  from 
the  sale  of  wool  alone.  The  increase  of  the  lambs 
averaged  about  90  per  cent,  of  the  ewes,  and  this  was  an 
additional  profit.  When  told  that  estimates  made  up  the 
coast  called  for  100  per  cent,  increase,  he  replied  that 
that  could  be  had  only  where  labor  was  abundant  enough 
to  care  for  the  lambs  when  first  dropped.  The  lamb  at 
birth  does  not  know  anything — not  even  its  own  mother. 
Even  on  finding  her  by  accident  it  does  not  know  where 
to  get  its  natural  nourishment,  but  is  as  likely  to  suckle 
a  lock  of  wool  as  the  teat.  Such  helpless  beings  need 
great  care,  though  after  a  week  or  so  they  require  no 
more  attention.     The  long-wooled  varieties  of  sheep  are 


220         THE   GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORN. 

in  favor.  The  lowest  average  of  wool  sheared  is  said  to 
be  7  pounds  per  sheep.  A  printed  table  of  statistics 
which  the  manager  carried  showed  that  the  average 
yield  in  1889  in  all  the  Argentine  was  4.4  pounds,  while 
that  of  the  United  States  was  exactly  that  of  the  lowest 
yield  of  his  flock — 7  pounds.  His  range  was  considered 
poorer  than  the  average,  but  it  had  sustained  two  sheep 
to  the  hectare — one  sheep  on  an  acre  and  a  quarter  of 
the  range. 

The  great  difficulty  that  owners  of  large  herds  had  in 
making  profits,  he  said,  was  in  finding  laborers  compe- 
tent to  do  the  work. 

The  one  disease  to  which  Patagonia  sheep  are  liable 
is  the  scab.  This  is  kept  under  by  dipping  them  in  vari- 
ous kinds  of  baths,  the  expense  for  the  bath  running 
from  $80  to  $90  gold  per  year  for  every  1000  sheep. 
The  next  greatest  expense  is  for  the  killing  of  panthers. 
Every  shepherd  carries  a  carbine,  and  must  be  supplied 
with  all  the  cartridges  he  wants.  These  rifles  sell  for 
less  money  in  Punta  Arenas  stores  than  in  New  York 
gun-shops,  but  the  annual  expense  for  rifles  and  car- 
tridges on  some  ranches  is  very  great. 

Foxes  and  a  species  of  wildcat  make  havoc  with  the 
young  lambs,  and  so  these  must  be  exterminated,  too. 
What  with  hunting  down  vermin  and  looking  after  the 
sheep  to  keep  them  on  the  range  and  to  dip  them  for 
the  scab,  the  French  manager  had  to  employ  a  man  for 
every  2500  sheep  in  his  flock.  On  the  whole,  his  flocks, 
numbering  a  little  over  100,000  sheep,  cost  the  company 
200,000  francs  per  year,  while  the  sale  of  the  last  clip 
yielded  500,000  francs,  and  the  price  was  not  high.  In 
his  judgment,  it  would  be  a  very  poor  business  man  who, 
after  starting  with  a  good  outfit  and  1000  ewes  on  the 


SHEEP  IN  PATAGONIA,  221 

Patagonia  range,  did  not  attain  an  income  of  $20,000 
gold  a  year  at  the  end  of  ten  years. 

This  being  the  most  conservative  estimate  of  the  prof- 
its of  sheep-growing  in  Patagonia,  the  picture,  as  a 
whole,  is  certainly  enchanting.  It  will  probably  remind 
some  readers  of  the  days,  something  like  twenty  years 
ago,  when  the  profits  of  the  cattle  business  in  Texas,''' 
New  Mexico,  Oklahoma,  and  other  grass-and-water  coun- 
tries were  setting  people  wild.  These  readers  saw  great 
mansions  built  and  furnished  in  a  style  to  make  mer- 
chants smile  and  artists  weep — built  out  of  the  profits  in 
cattle.  They  saw  men  go  into  the  cattle  business  one 
day  with  no  capital  but  a  broad-brimmed  hat  and  the 
next,  so  to  sjieak,  saw  them  draw  certified  checks  for  tens 
of  thousands  of  dollars.  Patagonia  sheep  are  now  just 
where  Texas  cattle  were  when  the  owners  began  to  reach 
out  from  the  green  bottom  lands  of  the  Arkansas  and  the 
Platte,  the  San  yVugustine  plains  of  New  Mexico,  and  the 
Rio  Grande  Valley  of  Colorado.  It  is  not  in  the  nature 
of  any  business  to  pay  140  per  cent,  or  more  profit  per 
annum  for  any  length  of  time.  I  do  not  doubt  the  fig- 
ures of  either  the  manager  of  the  French  company  or 
Gov.  Mayer,  but  the  conditions  are  now  of  a  kind  that 
cannot  last. 

In  connection  with  the  profits  of  the  sheep  industry 
must  be  mentioned  the  effect  of  rag  money  on  the  pros- 
perity of  the  sheep  owners.  In  both  Argentina  and 
Chili  the  national  money  was  at  so  great  a  discount  when 
I  was  there  that  a  gold  dollar  would  buy  from  $3.75  to 
$4  paper,  according  to  the  fluctuations  of  the  market. 
Because  of  this  depressed  condition  of  the  currency, 
both  countries  had  about  the  cheapest  labor  to  be  found 
anywhere.     That  is  to  say,  when  the  currency  was  in- 


222         THE   GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORN. 

flated  and  its  ability  to  purchase  gold  fell  there  was  little, 
if  any,  increase  in  the  number  of  dollars  paid  to  ranch 
hands  per  month.  Now  the  sheep  owner  sells  and  con- 
tinues to  sell  his  wool  in  Europe  for  gold.  He  exchanges 
as  much  of  this  gold  as  he  must  for  paper  with  which  to 
pay  his  men  ;  but  because  the  paper  "dollar  has  become 
worth  only  27  or  28  cents  in  gold,  he  can  now  pay  off 
his  men  with  less  than  one-third  as  much  gold  as  was 
formerly  required.  So  far  as  food  is  concerned,  the 
workmen  are  unaffected,  for  they  get  nothing  but  meat 
and  a  ground  root  called  farina,  with  Paraguay  tea  to 
drink,  but  for  their  clothes  they  must  pay  four  times  as 
much  as  formerly,  because  about  all  the  cloth  of  the  re- 
gion comes  from  Europe. 

The  homes  and  the  home  life  of  the  sheep  owners  and 
sheep  herders  are  well  worth  describing  in  connection 
with  what  has  been  said  of  the  great  profits  the  careful 
and  industrious  owners  may  make.  I  visited  one  of  the 
best  ranches  in  the  territory  of  Santa  Cruz.  It  was  lo- 
cated three  miles  below  Santa  Cruz  city,  and  was  the 
property  of  two  brothers  of  English  blood,  born  in  the 
Falkland  Islands,  The  Falklands  being  full  of  sheep 
and  no  more  land  to  be  had  there,  these  brothers  took 
their  inheritance  and  went  over  to  Patagonia.  They  se- 
lected their  range  when  choice  could  be  made  anywhere, 
and  so  got  two  valleys  running  into  that  of  the  Santa 
Cruz.  No  matter  how  dry  the  season,  therefore,  they 
were  sure  of  grass  for  their  flocks,  and  no  matter  how 
severe  the  blizzards  of  winter,  the  sheep  would  find 
plenty  of  shelter  under  the  hills  and  steep  banks  and  in 
the  lee  of  the  clumps  of  brush  that  grow  on  low  ground. 
The  brush,  too,  was  in  sufficient  quantity  and  of  a  size 
to  serve  as  fuel  and  for  building  corrals.  It  was  as  good 
a  location  as  one  could  ask  for. 


SHEEP  IN  PATAGONIA.  223 

On  the  tongue  of  moderately  high  ground,  where  the 
two  valleys  united  to  enter  that  of  the  Santa  Cruz,  they 
built  their  house.  It  was  a  mansion  for  that  country. 
The  walls  were  of  vertical  boards  battened  with  thin 
strips,  and  the  roof  was  of  corrugated  iron.  This  struc- 
ture was  divided  by  wooden  partitions  into  four  com- 
fortable rooms,  of  which  two  contained  two  beds  each, 
one  was  a  general  living  room  and  kitchen  combined, 
and  the  fourth  was  a  store-room.  All  but  the  last  had 
good  wooden  floors.  There  was  a  good  wrought-iron 
cook-stove  in  the  main  room,  and  a  table  and  chairs  that 
had  come  from  a  furniture  factory.  The  beds,  too,  were 
of  factory  make,  and  there  were  sheets  as  well  as  blank- 
ets on  them.  There  were  a  few  photographs  on  the 
walls — portraits  of  relatives  and  friends — and  every- 
where a  profusion  of  grocery  and  tobacco-store  litho- 
graphs. All  these  things  could  be  seen  when  the  doors 
were  closed,  because  there  were  windows  with  glass  in 
them,  and  the  glass  was  kept  clean.  There  was  a  broom 
in  the  corner,  and  the  floor  showed  that  it  was  used  regu- 
larly. In  short,  here  was  a  house  that  was  neat  and  com- 
fortable. 

I  ate  dinner  with  the  brothers.  We  had  mutton  roasted 
over  an  out-door  fire — the  best  kind  of  roast — with  fresh- 
baked  bread,  Yankee  hard  tack,  and  coffee  with  granu- 
lated sugar  and  Yankee  condensed  milk  in  it.  Knowing 
something  of  ranch  life  as  it  is  ordinarily  found  in  Pata- 
gonia, I  said  to  one  of  the  brothers  : 

"  I  do  not  believe  there  is  a  sheep  man  in  Patagonia 
that  lives  more  comfortably  than  you." 

"  I  fancy  not,"  he  said.  *'  We  have  about  everything 
that  we  want,  and  do  not  mean  to  starve  for  the  sake  of 
saving  sixpence  extra." 

Thereat  an  employee  who  had  been  a  sailor,  and  had 


224         THE   GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORN: 

turned  shepherd  with  good  success,  rolled  his  eyes  ex- 
pressively toward  a  bright-colored  lithograph  on  the  wall 
above  the  table.  The  lithograph  was  a  picture  of  a 
pretty  girl  leaning  over  a  farm-yard  gate  in  a  way  to 
show  her  well-rounded  form  to  advantage,  while  her 
skirts  were  so  short  that  she  was  at  least  in  no  danger 
of  tripping  on  them  when  she  walked.  Jack's  gaze  lin- 
gered on  the  fair  form  for  a  minute,  and  then  he  said  : 

"  We  have  everything  that  the  soul  could  long  for, 
except  society.  You  can't  get  the  kind  of  a  wife  you 
want  to  come  to  this  country." 

"  I  've  heard,"  said  I,  "  that  the  Tehuelche  girls  are 
pretty  and  coquettish  in  their  manners,  and  not  at  all 
averse  to  marrying  stalwart  young  white  men." 

**  That  *s  so,'  said  Jack.  "  I  know.  I  tried  it.  I  gave 
an  old  buck  six  horses  for  his  daughter,  and  she  was  the 
prettiest  one  in  the  whole  tribe.  We  were  married 
Tehuelche  fashion.  They  killed  and  ate  half  the  horses 
I  gave  for  her,  and  made  a  dance,  and  the  medicine  man 
shook  his  rattles  over  us,  and  put  charms  around  our 
necks  to  keep  the  devils  off.  That  was  the  swellest 
Patagonia  wedding  of  the  year,  I  '11  lay  five  pounds.  So 
we  set  up  housekeeping.  Then  the  old  buck,  and  the 
mother,  and  the  grandmother,  and  the  sisters  of  the 
grandmother,  and  the  brothers  and  sisters  of  the  buck 
and  of  the  mother — Lord  !  the  whole  tribe  came  to  visit 
us.  It  took  ten  sheep  or  a  horse  a  day  to  supply  them  with 
grub.     I  stood  it  for  a  month,  and  then  I  got  a  divorce." 

"  That  's  an  interesting  incident.  How  did  you  man- 
age the  divorce  business  ? " 

'*  Took  my  Winchester,  and  run  the  damned  outfit  to 
the  other  side  of  the  Cordilleras." 

I  saw  half  a  dozen  sheep  men  in  Gallegos.    They  had 


SHEEP  IN  PATAGONIA.  11% 

come  to  the  settlement  partly  on  business  and  partly 
for  the  pleasures  of  society.  With  a  dozen  villagers  they 
were  seated  at  a  large  table  in  the  dining-room  of  one  of 
the  hotels.  A  huge  kerosene  lamp  overhead  afforded 
fair  light — enough  at  least  to  show  that  the  crowd  was 
unshaved,  unwashed,  and  squalid.  Each  man  had  a 
tumbler  at  his  elbow.  A  fat,  round  bottle  that  held  about 
a  gallon  of  claret  was  passed  along  at  frequent  intervals 
to  keep  the  tumblers  full.  All  but  one  were  drinking 
wine.  The  exception  was  an  Englighman,  and  he  took 
whiskey.  Half  the  crowd  were  playing  cards,  and  there 
were  kernels  of  corn  in  little  heaps  as  chips  before  each 
player. 

"  This  is  a  great  game,"  said  Mr.  AVilliam  Clark,  for- 
merly of  Salem,  Mass.,  a  ranchman,  who  acted  as  my 
guide.  "  You  play  it,  eh  ?  Of  course  you  do.  Why, 
man,  they  've  only  corn  for  chips,  but  they  are  winning 
and  losing  a  hundred  dollars  and  more  every  game." 

"  So  ?  To  judge  from  their  dress  they  could  n't  afford 
to  lose  fifty  cents." 

"  Of  course  they  could  n't,  but  they  're  rich — most  of 
them.  Each  red  kernel  is  a  dollar  chip,  each  white  one 
twenty-five  cents.     This  is  a  great  country." 

"  So  it  is.  Is  that  old  fellow  with  a  ragged  shirt  at 
the  head  of  the  table  one  of  the  rich  ones  ?" 

"  You  bet  he  is.  Ragged,  eh  ?  Well,  rather  ;  but  he  's 
the  proprietor  of  this  hotel,  and  owns  ten  thousand  sheep 
besides." 

"  And  the  swarthy  old  pirate  alongside  with  the  big 
heap  of  reds — who  's  he  ?  " 

"  You  call  him  a  pirate  ?  How  did  you  find  it  out  ? 
That 's  just  what  he  is.  He  lent  me  a  hundred  not  long 
ago,  and  charged  me  two  per  cent,  a  month.     He  's  the 


226         THE   GOLD  DIGGINGS   OF  CAPE  II  OR  At. 

Government  blacksmith.  He  only  gets  $30  a  month, 
but  he  has  hundreds  of  dollars  loaned  out  at  two  per 
cent,  a  month.  Big  pile  of  reds,  eh  !  You  call  him  a 
pirate  ?     That  's  just  what  he  is." 

On  further  inquiry  I  learned  that  three  men  playing 
at  the  table  with  the  landlord  had  incomes  better  than 
$2000  gold  a  year,  while  the  rest  were  employees  on 
small  wages  paid  in  paper,  the  best-dressed  man  being  a 
servant  on  $20  a  month.  Four  had  been  well  educated 
and  two  could  barely  read.  Apparently  they  were  all 
enjoying  themselves,  and  I  asked  Clark  if  they  were.  He 
looked  at  me  in  astonishment. 

"  Why,  man,  of  course  they  are.  What  more  could 
you  want  ?  "  he  said. 

The  sheep  man  does  not  want  anything  more. 

Mention  has  been  made  of  a  man  who  sold  out  his 
holdings  in  Patagonia  for  ^26,000,  and  then  went  home 
to  England  to  enjoy  the  proceeds  of  his  labor,  only  to 
find  on  arriving  there  that  he  was  unable  to  enjoy  him- 
self as  he  had  expected  to  do.  This  family  had  lived  in 
Patagonia  only  a  very  few  years,  but  the  life  in  a  mud 
hut,  where  there  was  not  a  single  restraint  of  civiliza- 
tion, had  changed  their  habits  and  thoughts  so  much 
that  they  were  utterly  out  of  place  among  their  old 
friends.  To  keep  her  house  clean  and  herself  was  a 
burden  for  the  wife,  even  when  she  had  servants  to  help 
her  ;  to  wash  and  shave,  and  wear  a  starched  collar, 
made  life  intolerable  for  the  husband.  The  latent  wild 
instinct  in  both  had  asserted  itself  until  it  was  beyond 
control,  and  they  returned  with  joy  to  the  savage  free- 
dom of  the  desert. 

And  so  it  had  happened  to  every  sheep  man  living 
among  his  sheep  that  I  met  or  heard  of,  except  the  two 


SHEEP   IN  PATAGONIA.  22/ 

brothers  near  Santa  Cruz.  That  there  were  other  excep- 
tions, I  have  no  doubt,  but  they  were  mere  exceptions. 
The  ranchmen  of  Patagonia  are  ahnost  to  a  man  educated 
and  by  their  youthful  training  refined.  Some,  as  said, 
are  university  men,  but,  as  a  class,  they  live  lives,  that, 
to  people  of  culture  and  refinement,  seem  utterly  savage. 
They  become  so  accustomed  to  this  manner  of  life  that 
they  will  endure  no  other. 

The  desert  is  a  strange  region.  It  is  forever  bleak, 
barren,  and  monotonous  to  the  eye.  With  its  piercing 
winds  and  blizzards  on  the  one  hand,  and  its  fierce  heats 
and  thirsty  wastes  on  the  other,  it  is  apparently  the 
most  inhospitable  region  in  the  world.  But  it  takes  hold 
of  the  heartstrings  of  men,  strips  off  their  thin  veneer  of 
civilization,  teaches  them  joys  of  which  they  had  heard 
only  such  faint  rumors  as  may  come  in  dreams,  and  so 
holds  them  fast.  "  Such  things  were  and  are  in  men  ; 
in  all  men  ;  in  us  too." 


CHAPTER  XII. 


THE    GAUCHO     AT    HOME. 


\  1 /"E  would  rather  hear  the  bird  sing  than  the  mouse 
squeak,"  is  a  common  saying  of  that  most  in- 
teresting class  of  men  in  South  America  known  to  the 
world  as  gauchos,  and  it  is  the  saying  which,  better  than 
all  others  originating  with  them,  gives  an  insight  into 
their  character  as  a  class.  To  this  may  be  added  the 
book  definition  of  their  name.  Gaucho,  in  the  Spanish- 
English  lexicon,  is  a  term  in  architecture  "  applied  to 
uneven  superficies."  The  gaucho  is  the  cowboy,  the 
shepherd,  and  the  plainsman  of  the  prairies  and  deserts 
that  extend  from  the  Rio  Grande  do  Sul  in  Brazil  to 
the  Andes  and  from  the  Grand  Chaco  forests  of  the 
Argentine  to  the  Strait  of  Magellan.  He  is  an  out-of- 
doors  citizen  of  somewhat  "  uneven  superficies." 

My  first  view  of  a  gaucho  was  had  on  Flores  Island, 
the  quarantine  station  of  Uruguay,  a  place  where  nearly 
all  the  passengers  bound  on  the  English  steamers  for 
the  River  Plate,  during  the  yellow  fever  season,  are 
obliged  to  stop  for  disinfection  and  observation.  We 
had  been  on  the  island  a  little  over  a  day  when  a  steer 
was  butchered  to  renew  the  fresh  meat  supply.  Nearly 
all  the  passengers  went  to  see   the  beast  suffer,  among 

228 


THE  GA  UCHO  A  T  HOME.  229 

the  rest  a  Brazilian  naval  officer,  en  route  to  a  station 
in  the  Missiones.  After  a  little  time  he  came  to  my 
room,  asked  why  I  had  not  been  at  the  killing,  and 
added  : 

**  It  is  now  the  best  time  to  go.  The  killing  was  noth- 
ing— a  gaucho  put  his  knife  into  his  throat  and  it  bled 
to  death — but  now  the  gauchos  will  have  an  asado.  Did 
you  ever  in  your  life  see  an  asado  ?  It  is  of  the  finest  of 
meat.     They  will  roast  the  ribs  of  the  cow  by  the  fire." 

Near  the  buildings  set  aside  for  the  use  of  the  third- 
class  passsengers  from  Brazil  we  found  a  number  of 
gauchos  preparing  to  roast  the  ribs  of  beef  over  a  small 
open  fire — a  fire  so  small  that  the  coals  and  ashes  occu- 
pied no  more  space  on  the  ground  than  the  ribs  would 
have  covered.  The  rib  piece  was  threaded,  so  to  speak 
on  a  slender  but  stiff  bar  of  steel  five  feet  long.  The 
bar  was  thrust  into  the  ground  so  that  the  beef  was  in- 
clined like  a  shelter  tent  above  the  blazing  fire,  and 
there  it  remained  for  about  two  hours,  being  turned 
occasionally  by  the  gauchos. 

Although  this  was  the  first  time  I  had  seen  beef  roasted 
in  just  that  fashion,  I  was  much  more  interested  in  the 
gauchos  and  certain  other  things  they  did  than  in  their 
roast  of  beef.  Had  the  officer  not  told  me  the  men  were 
gauchos  I  should  very  likely  have  mistaken  them  for 
sailors.  The  Nantucket  whaler,  fresh  from  a  three  years' 
cruise  in  the  Pacific  never  showed  a  sweeter  roll  in  his 
gait,  than  did  these  South  American  cowboys  as  they 
fetched  to  alongside  the  fire  or  veered  off  in  search  of 
fuel  to  keep  it  burning.  Nor  was  the  resemblance  in 
the  gait  alone,  for  every  man  of  them  wore  a  belt  with  a 
knife,  the  handle  of  which  was  just  where  the  man's 
hand  would  find  it  in  the  shortest  time.     Then,  too.  the 


230         THE    GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE   HORN. 

hats  of  the  gauchos  were  of  the  nondescript  sort,  and  all 
worn  easily  on  what  a  sailor  would  call  the  northwest 
corner  or  some  other  corner  of  the  head.  The  leg-gear, 
however,  was  by  no  means  nautical.  Jack  always  loved 
flowing  trousers,  but  not  flowing  as  these  were.  At  first 
glance  the  gauchos  seemed  to  have  brown  zouave  trousers 
with  white  leggings  at  the  ankles,  but  a  closer  inspection 
showed  that  they  wore  rather  close-fitting  cotton  drawers 
in  place  of  trousers,  and  that  in  addition  their  legs  were 
clothed  from  the  ankles  up  with  a  length — say  three 
yards — of  wide  brown  cotton  goods.  One  end  of  this 
piece  of  goods  was  tucked  up  through  the  belt  and  spread 
out  across  the  small  of  the  back.  Then  the  other  end 
was  brought  up  between  the  legs,  tucked  up  under  the 
belt  and  spread  out  across  the  belly  until  its  edges  touched 
or  even  overlapped  the  edges  of  the  rear  end.  That  is 
all  there  was  of  it.  The  stuff  bagged  down  between 
the  legs  in  a  fashion  that  made  the  wearer  the  most 
ridiculous  looking  man,  in  my  judgment,  on  the  conti- 
nent. The  nearest  approach  to  it  in  North  America  can 
be  found  in  the  trousers  with  flaps  in  front,  which  the 
good  farm  wife  used  to  make  for  her  husband  in  the  old 
days.  It  is  true  that  the  Yuma  Indian  of  the  Colorado 
desert  wears  a  short  length  of  cloth  in  something  after 
the  Same  fashion,  but  he  draws  the  ends  through  the  belt 
until  they  hang  down  before  and  behind,  leaving  the 
middle  to  fit  close  to  the  body,  in  which  fashion  he  ap- 
pears to  be  wearing  a  short  skirt. 

What  do  they  wear  that  cloth  bagging  between  the 
leg^  for  ?"  said  I  to  the  Brazilian. 

You  are  to  remember,"  he  replied,  "  the  gaucho 
lives  on  the  plains  where  no  tailors  find  themselves  in 
order  to  make  clothes  a  la  mode,  eh  !     And  the  gaucho 


THE  GA  UCHO  A  T  HOME.  23 1 

cannot  himself  to  make  trousers  and  he  cannot  himself 
to  put  what  you  call  them — the  patches  over  the  holes  in 
the  trousers  where  he  sits  in  the  saddle.  But  he  can  to 
buy  cloth  and  to  wear  one  end  between  him  and  the 
saddle  to-day  and  the  other  end  to-morrow  and  another 
part  to-morrow — past  to-morrow.  Caramba  !  The  cloth 
never  can  to  wear  out  in  much  time,  but  it  can  to  cover 
the  holes  behind  in  his  trousers.     Is  it  not  true  ? " 

Caramba  is  a  Spanish  word  meaning  in  the  American 
language  "  gosh."  It  is  in  common  use  among  South 
Americans  of  all  classes,  a  fact  worth  mentioning,  per- 
haps, for  the  reason  that  the  gauchos  have  no  more  forci- 
ble word  for  use  even  under  circumstances  that  would 
lead  an  American  cowboy  into  the  most  sulphurous 
depths  of  profanity. 

Ridiculous  as  the  gaucho  appeared  when  seen  on 
Flores  Island  surrounded  by  houses  and  people  dressed 
suitably  for  a  summer  stroll  on  Broadway,  he  seemed  a 
very  different  being  when  I  came  to  meet  him  in  Pata- 
gonia. A  hawk  mounted  on  a  smooth  walnut  perch  in  a 
city  museum  does  not  seem  quite  the  same  bird  that  it 
does  when  it  snatches  a  partridge  from  under  the  jaws 
of  a  snarling  fox  on  the  edge  of  a  thicket  in  the  Adiron- 
dack wilderness.  To  see  the  gaucho  at  his  best,  that  is 
where  he  will  be  found  most  interesting,  one  must  go 
where  he  lives  utterly  free  from  all  restraint,  even  the 
restraint  of  association.  Such  a  place  is  Patagonia. 
This  great  southern  desert  gives  perfect  freedom  to  its 
roving  sons.  It  is  a  wondrous  solitude.  One  rides  away 
from  the  valley  of  the  stream  in  which  he  has  left  his 
ship,  until  the  crest  of  a  hill  shuts  out  the  view  of  the 
water,  and  then  finds  himself  alone  utterly.  Pebbles 
red  and  brown,  that  have  been  rounded  by  the  waves. 


232         THE   GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORN. 

with  the  gray  and  yellowish  sand  of  attrition,  are  under 
his  feet.  On  every  side  are  scattered  clumps  of  stiff, 
gaunt  gray  bushes.  Further  away  the  land  rises  in  knolls 
and  ridges.  Seeking  for  a  change  in  the  landscape,  one 
rides  to  the  top  of  the  highest  crest  in  view,  only  to  find 
that  the  ridges  he  saw  before  had  apparently  moved  on. 
At  any  rate,  before  him  stand  ridges  and  knolls  of  pre- 
cisely the  shape  he  had  looked  at  on  first  scaling  the 
mesa.  Turning  around  and  looking  back,  the  ridges 
and  knolls  just  seen  in  front  are  found  duplicated.  One 
may  ride  for  hours  with  never  a  change  in  the  landscape 
which  the  ordinary  eye  can  detect.  It  is  an  unvarying 
gray  wilderness.  It  is  as  silent  as  it  is  desolate.  The 
wind  blows  strong  in  the  face,  but  it  does  not  whistle, 
neither  does  it  make  a  rustle  in  the  bushes,  unless  it  be 
a  gale.  The  brush  does  not  even  bend  or  sway  under 
its  impulse.  It  is,  save  to  the  most  observant,  usually  a 
lifeless  desert.  The  faint  chirp  of  a  desert  sparrow, 
called  by  the  Indians,  mouse  bird,  because  of  its  color 
and  its  habit  of  running  over  the  sand  as  it  dodged 
behind  a  bush  at  the  strange  sight  of  a  human  being, 
would  not  be  heard  by  the  ordinary  traveller,  and  unless 
the  ostrich  or  the  guanaco  were  stumbled  upon  by  acci- 
dent, no  sign  of  life  would  come  to  cheer  either  the  ear 
or  the  eye. 

Nevertheless,  when  once  a  man  has  learned  the  secrets 
of  the  desert  and  its  savage  joys,  he  returns  to  it  as  to 
the  arms  of  some  fierce  sweetheart,  finding  there  a  spell, 
an  elation  that  makes  all  other  kinds  of  life  seem  insipid. 
Nature  has  in  store  many  undescribed  and  undescribable 
pleasures  for  those  who  can  return  to  live  a  natural  life 
in  the  wilderness. 

It  is  in  curious  fashion  that  many  of  the  gauchos  of 


THE  GA  UCHO  A  T  HOME.  233 

Patagonia  have  gone  to  the  wilderness  to  live  on  the 
bounties  of  nature,  and  it  is  a  curious  life  they  lead  there. 
A  ship  is  driven  ashore  on  the  Patagonian  coast  either 
by  real  accident  or  purposely,  that  her  owners  may  col- 
lect the  insurance.  Of  her  crew,  should  they  escape,  at 
least  one  will  become  a  gaucho.  They  will  all  reach 
one  of  the  settlements,  where  a  chance  to  take  service  as 
sheep  herders  will  be  offered  them.  Several  will  enter 
this  service  and  so  learn  the  simple  arts  of  the  plainsman 
—  to  ride  a  mustang,  to  roast  meat  on  the  steel  rod  that 
leans  above  a  fire  of  small  brush,  to  throw  the  lasso  and 
the  bolas,  to  hold  the  fur  robe  called  a  quillango  about 
the  shoulders  while  galloping  across  the  desert  in  the 
teeth  of  a  gale.  The  shepherd  life  seems  good  for  a 
time,  in  spite  of  the  steady  diet  of  mutton,  with  only 
an  occasional  change  to  guanaco  meat,the  ribs  of  a 
panther,  or  the  wings  of  an  ostrich.  By  and  by,  how- 
ever, this  life  palls.  Why  should  one  be  tied  down  to 
one  spot  when  the  whole  wilderness  lies  before  him  and 
nature  will  there  supply  every  want  ?  Why  should  one 
take  orders  when  he  can  follow  his  own  free  will  ?  Why 
mix  in  the  quarrels  and  envying  and  strifes  of  the  head 
station  when  silence  and  safety  and  peace  may  be  found 
beyond  the  range?  The  shepherd  becomes  a  wild  gaucho. 

And  then  there  is  the  soldier  stationed  on  the  frontier. 
In  the  old  days  he  was  like  a  break-water  to  stop  the 
Indians  who  in  waves  came  to  whelm  the  scattered  settle- 
ments. Now  there  is  peace,  but  the  old  forts  are  still 
manned. 

"  So  many  officers  are  martinets,"  the  soldiers  will  say, 
"  and  at  best  it  is  a  dog's  life  in  the  barracks.  Let  us 
be  wolves  instead."  The  soldier  turns  gaucho,  some- 
times without  waiting  for  the  formality  of  a  discharge. 


234         THE    GOLD  DIGGINGS   OF  CAPE  HORN. 

Last  of  all  there  is  the  lad  who  is  growing  to  man's 
size  in  the  officers'  quarters  of  a  frontier  post,  or  in  the 
general  store  of  the  frontier  settlement.  The  desert  calls 
to  such  boys  ev^ery  day  as  the  sea  calls  to  the  children 
on  Nantucket  beach.  They  have  lassoes  and  bolas  as 
the  Yankee  boys  have  skates  and  baseballs.  They  are 
riding  mustangs  before  the  New  York  boy  is  trusted  on 
a  tricycle.  Meantime  the  gaucho  is  ever  before  them 
with  his  swagger  and  dash,  his  hearty  laugh,  and  his 
quick  anger.  Mothers  may  frighten  their  children  when 
babes  in  arms  by  saying,  "  The  gaucho  will  carry  you 
off,"  and  may  tell  the  older  boys  that  the  gaucho  is  the 
personification  of  all  that  is  ribald — the  desperado  of  the 
plains — but  as  the  leaders  of  the  courriers  du  bois  of 
Canada  were  the  sons  of  French  gentlemen,  so  the  chief 
men  of  the  gauchos  are  of  what  is  called  good  family. 
I  saw  one  of  that  kind — an  Englishman  by  birth.  He 
wore  on  his  shoulders  a  poncho — a  small  squaw-made 
blanket  with  a  hole  in  the  middle  through  which  he 
could  thrust  his  head.  On  his  feet  were  potro  boots,  a 
sort  of  foot-gear  made  of  the  skin  of  the  legs  of  a  colt. 
About  his  waist  Avas  a  belt  that  carried  a  knife,  of  which 
the  handle  was  silver  and  the  blood-stained  blade  a  foot 
long.  He  was  unshaved,  unwashed,  and  ungroomed. 
But  he  had  on  a  suit  of  fine  silk  underwear,  "  because, 
don't  you  know,  I  can't  get  used  to  the  beastly  scratch- 
ing of  furs  and  flannels." 

The  outfit  of  the  Patagonian  gaucho  is  simple  and  not 
expensive.  With  one  good  horse  and  three  dogs  he  can 
start,  but  a  swell  gaucho  may  have  a  score  of  horses  and 
a  dozen  dogs.  To  these  he  must  add  a  good  saddle, 
with  numerous  saddle-cloths,  which  are  usually  nothing 
but  small    blankets    woven   by  the    Tehuelche    squaws 


THE  GA  UCHO  A  T  HOME.  235 

from  guanaco  hair  and  wool,  purchased  or  stolen  at  the 
ranches.  Equally  necessary  are  the  quillangos,  the  great 
fur  robes  made  by  sewing  together  the  skins  of  young 
guanacos.  With  two  or  three  of  these  the  gaucho  can 
pass  the  night  comfortably  in  the  lee  of  a  bit  of  brush 
even  when  a  blizzard  is  raging.  The  water-proof  canvas 
sleeping-bag  lined  with  fur  would  be  warmer  and  lighter, 
but  the  gaucho  will  have  none  of  it  because  his  quillan- 
gos serve  as  overcoats  by  day. 

The  weapons  of  the  gaucho  are  simple,  and  with  one 
exception  inexpensive.  They  are  the  lasso,  the  bolas, 
and  the  knife.  The  last,  having  a  carved  silver  handle, 
may  cost  as  much  as  $25  gold.  The  lasso  is  a  horsehair 
rope.  The  bolas  have  been  described  by  every  writer 
who  has  visited  the  River  Plate,  but  it  may  be  worth 
telling  here  that  the  reader  can  make  them  for  himself 
by  taking  either  two  or  three  round  balls  of  iron  an  inch 
and  a  quarter  in  diameter,  or  two  or  three  round  stones 
of  two  and  a  quarter  inches  in  diameter,  and  securing 
to  each  the  end  of  a  stout  cord  three  feet  long.  Then  tie 
together  the  other  ends  of  the  cords,  making  a  good  big 
knot  in  doing  so.  To  use  the  bolas,  grasp  this  big  knot 
and  one  of  the  bolas,  and  then  after  whirling  the  free 
bola  or  bolas  about  the  head  to  give  them  speed,  hurl 
the  whole  outfit  at  any  target  handy.  If  the  novice 
does  not  crack  his  skull  in  his  earlier  efforts  to  master 
the  bolas,  they  quickly  become  an  effective  weapon 
with  a  range  of  twenty  yards.  After  considerable  prac- 
tice a  healthy  man  can  achieve  a  range  of  thirty  yards, 
while  fifty  or  sixty  yards  may  be  covered  by  the  man 
of  exceptional  skill.  The  gauchos  tell  of  ranges  up  to 
100  yards,  with  a  two-ball  out-fit  made  of  iron.  It  may 
be  so. 


236         THE   GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORN. 

Having  these  weapons,  the  gaucho  commonly  scorns 
all  others. 

"  I  am  astonished  to  learn  that  you  do  not  carry  a 
good  revolver,"  said  I  to  a  gaucho  who  talked  English 
fluently. 

"  And  I  am  astonished  to  hear  people  like  yourself 
think  one  of  any  use  to  us,"  he  replied. 

"  But  I  have  heard  that  you  gentlemen  of  the  plains 
have  misunderstandings  with  each  other,  and  that  you 
then  fight  to  kill." 

"  It  is  true." 

"  Would  not  a  good  revolver  be  a  handy  thing  to  use 
in  self-defence  at  such  a  time  ?  " 

*'  It  would  indeed.  To  defend  oneself — why,  I  sup- 
pose nothing  could  be  better  for  that.  But  we  do  not 
fight  so.  To  think  of  shooting  a  man  when — Bah  ! 
Pardon  me,  my  friend,  but  I  can  see  you  have  never  felt 
a  man's  flesh  give  as  you  drove  your  steel  home." 

The  story  of  the  life  of  the  half-wild  gaucho  on  the 
desert  is  full  of  adventure.  The  gaucho's  day  begins 
with  the  capture  of  a  horse  from  his  herd.  It  is  literally 
a  capture,  for  the  plains  horse,  no  matter  how  well  trained, 
hates  the  draw  of  the  cinch.  Where  a  man  travels  alone 
one  of  his  herd  must  be  securely  staked  out  over  night, 
that  he  may  be  able  to  round  up  and  load  the  rest,  if 
there  be  loads.  Sometimes  the  precaution  of  staking  is 
of  no  avail,  for  there  are  wild  horses  all  over  Patagonia, 
and  the  joy  of  their  lives  is  to  stampede  a  tame  herd, 
especially  a  herd  with  mares  in  it.  For  this  reason 
mares  will  sell  for  a  dollar  or  two  each,  where  stallions 
or  geldings  of  less  strength  are  sold  for  ten  or  more. 

When  the  horses  are  packed  and  attended  to,  break- 
fast of  coffee,  possibly,  and  cold  meat  left  from  the  last 


THE  GA  UCHO  A  T  HOME.  237 

repast  will  serve,  but  the  usual  bill  of  fare  is  a  cup  of 
mat^,  the  tea  herb  of  Paraguay,  and  a  pipe  of  tobacco. 
The  morning  appetite  of  everybody  in  Spanish  America 
seems  to  be  that  of  a  man  who  has  been  on  a  spree  the 
night  before.  Some  bitter  bracing  drink  is  all  that  is 
wanted.  Then  the  niate'-poX.  is  slung  to  the  saddle,  a  last 
look  is  cast  over  the  camp  ground  to  see  that  nothing  is 
left,  the  finger  tips  touch  the  cinch  to  see  that  it  is  tight, 
and  then  the  gaucho  swings  into  the  saddle. 

The  gaucho  born  to  the  life  is  of  the  very  best  class  of 
riders.  Drunk  or  sober,  asleep  or  awake,  over  the  smooth 
mesa  or  across  the  broken  ground  of  a  gully,  the  gaucho 
sits  in  his  saddle  as  easily,  as  securely,  and  as  comfort- 
ably as  a  New  Yorker  sits  in  a  cross  seat  of  an  elevated 
train  car  that  has  no  other  passengers.  And  yet  the 
gaucho's  seat  is  apparently  insecure,  for  his  legs  dangle 
about  in  a  way  that  would  be  simply  shocking  to  a  Cen- 
tral Park  riding  master,  and  one  has  to  see  the  gaucho's 
mustang  jump  sideways  and  land  stiff-legged,  while  the 
gaucho's  legs  are  still  dangling,  and  to  see  the  look  of 
absolute  unconcern  on  the  gaucho's  face  when  the  mus- 
tang jumps  so  again  and  again,  to  thoroughly  appreciate 
him  as  a  horseman. 

The  gaucho  once  mounted,  where  will  he  go  and  how 
will  he  pass  the  day  ?  One  may  as  well  ask  the  first 
question  of  an  Indian  or  of  a  guanaco  feeding  in  a  gully. 
He  will  go  where  the  whim  takes  him  and  stop  where 
night  finds  him.  He  has  absolutely  no  reason  for  taking 
thought  for  the  morrow,  and  he  takes  none.  He  will 
pass  the  day  galloping  easily  across  the  desert,  in  the 
main,  with  mad  dashes  this  way  and  that  as  the  dogs 
start  an  ostrich.  He  will  dismount  to  break  the  neck 
and  disembowel  the  bird  when  overtaken  or  when  tangled 


238         THE    GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORN. 

up  by  the  bolas.  He  will  chase  a  young  guanaco,  as 
well,  and  when  an  ostrich  has  started  from  under  his 
horse's  feet,  so  to  speak,  as  often  happens  at  a  certain 
period  of  the  season,  he  goes  back  on  its  track  after 
kihing  it,  because  he  knows  it  was  on  a  nest  when  started, 
and  that  in  finding  the  eggs  he  will  find  a  delicacy  of 
the  desert. 

The  Patagonia  ostrich  egg  is  a  huge  affair,  equal  in 
weight  to  more  than  half  a  dozen  hen's  eggs.  The 
gaucho  breaks  a  hole  in  one  end  to  let  the  steam  escape, 
and  then  stands  it  in  the  ashes  at  the  edge  of  the 
fire  and  lets  it  roast.  Of  course,  it  must  be  turned  occa- 
sionally. Because  these  eggs  are  a  hearty  kind  of  food 
they  are  usually  eaten  at  the  gaucho's  evening  dinner. 
And  the  gaucho  dinner  is  a  tremendous  affair,  so  far  as 
quantity  is  concerned. 

Having  galloped  over  the  plains  all  day,  with,  perhaps, 
a  stop  for  luncheon,  a  cup  of  mate,  and  a  smoke  at  mid- 
day, the  gaucho  is  hungry  when  night  comes.  But,  al- 
though he  may  have  more  meat  than  any  three  men  may 
eat,  he  will  not  have  enough  to  satisfy  his  appetite.  This 
is  not  because  the  gaucho  is  a  glutton,  but  because  a 
meat  diet  does  not  fully  satisfy  the  demands  of  the 
human  system.  The  Indians  eat  fungus  of  various  kinds, 
grass  roots  and  seeds,  and  berries  in  the  season.  The 
gaucho  will  gather  the  berries  because  they  are  every- 
where abundant.  He  \\\\\  pick  up  a  handy  bit  of  fungus, 
but  will  not  go  out  of  his  w^ay  to  find  it.  The  bunch- 
grass  seed  is  too  small  a  matter  for  his  happy-go-lucky 
soul.  So  he  is  always  hungry  at  night,  and  never  satis- 
fied entirely  unless,  indeed,  he  chances  to  kill  a  good  fat 
panther.  The  fat  of  the  young  panther  is  the  most 
satisfying  food  of  the  desert.     To  tell  just   how   many 


THE  GA  UCHO  A  T  HOME.  2^g 

pounds  of  young  panther  meat  a  gaucho  will  eat  would 
be  to  throw  a  doubt  over  this  whole  narrative  in  the 
minds  of  readers  not  posted  on  such  matters 

However,  with  his  guanaco,  his  ostrich,  and  his 
panther  meat,  with  his  ma^e  cup  after,  and  his  pipe 
after  that,  the  gaucho  is  contented,  if  not  entirely 
satisfied. 

Out  of  the  day's  captures  he  will  keep  the  skins  of  the 
ostrich,  for  the  feathers  are  worth  50  cents  gold  a  pound 
in  the  settlements,  and  he  sells  them  that  he  may  buy 
more  ma^e,  some  more  silver  for  decorating  his  saddle, 
and  some  ribbons  and  candy  to  carry  to  a  more  or  less 
attractive  squaw.  The  money  left  after  the  purchase  of 
these  necessaries  of  life  is  used  in  buying  a  jag  of  the 
largest  size  obtainable  with  the  resources  at  command. 
That  is  to  say  the  gaucho  gets  drunk  whenever  he  goes 
to  a  settlement.  Getting  drunk  is  the  one  civilized  habit 
to  which  he  clings  to  the  end  of  life.  In  all  other  re- 
spects the  Patagonia  gaucho  is  a  picturesque  savage,  the 
Arab  of  the  Southern  desert,  who  passes  his  days  in 
wandering  from  oasis  to  oasis. 

These  gauchos  of  Patagonia  are  only  one  species  of  a 
class.  There  are  gauchos,  as  has  been  intimated,  on 
the  cattle  and  sheep  ranches.  They  are  much  more  fre- 
quently seen  by  travellers  than  are  the  Patagonians,  be- 
cause they  gather  at  the  pampa  railroad  stations,  and 
may  even  be  found  in  certain  quarters  of  Buenos  Ayres. 
They  wear  their  distinguishing  dress  everywhere,  and  so 
may  be  recognized  readily.  As  seen  from  a  railroad 
train  they  look  like  slouching  loafers.  The  ordinary 
traveller  see  the  gaucho  at  his  worst.  In  fact,  the 
gaucho  has  seemed  to  be  such  a  worthless  dog  to  so 
many  travellers,  and  so  many  travellers  have  written  and 


240         THE   GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  IJORN. 

printed  their  impressions  of  the  gaucho  that  he  has  in 
these  later  years  learned  that  all  foreigners  regard  him 
as  a  pretty  hard  citizen.  Now,  the  gaucho  is  above  all 
things  a  man  of  pride,  and  even  of  vanity.  He  wants 
to  appear  well,  especially  before  strangers,  and  so  it  has 
come  to  pass  that  to  call  a  gaucho  a  gaucho  is  to  insult 
him. 

Strangers  should  always  avoid  insulting  a  gaucho  until 
after  they  have  got  the  drop  on  him  with  right  good 
guns.  The  gaucho  is  the  handiest  man  with  a  knife  in 
the  world,  and  his  estimate  of  the  value  of  human  life  is 
as  low  as  that  held  by  any  class  of  men. 

"  What  does  it  matter  ?  Many  beautiful  horses 
die,"  he  Avill  say  when  he  hears  of  the  death  of  a 
friend. 

"  I  was  in  a  gaucho  saloon  up  the  river  one  day  last 
summer,"  said  a  Buenos  Ayres  man  to  me,  "  when  a 
Frenchman  looking  for  a  ranch  to  buy  came  in.  He 
wanted  to  smoke  and  had  cigarettes,  but  no  matches. 
And  what  was  very  much  worse  for  him,  he  did  not  know 
the  etiquette  of  the  occasion.  With  cigarettes  in  hand, 
he  placed  one  in  his  mouth,  and  then  in  politest  terms 
asked  the  favor  of  a  light  from  a  gaucho  who  was  pufifing 
a  cigarette  stub,  possibly  a  little  more  than  a  quarter  inch 
long.  So  far  he  had  done  well.  The  gaucho  said,  i 
'with  pleasure,'  and  the  Frenchman  was  soon  puffing 
his  cigarette.  Then  he  made  a  well-nigh  fatal  error. 
Instead  of  returning  the  worthless  stub  with  thanks 
he  dropped  it  on  the  floor,  intending,  as  he  said  after- 
wards, to  ask  the  gaucho  to  do  him  the  favor  of  taking 
a  fresh  one.  But  he  did  n't  have  time  enough  to  even 
open  his  mouth.  Dropping  the  stub  was  an  insult. 
It    implied    that   the   gaucho  had  been  smoking  a  too 


THE  GA  UCHO  A  T  HOME.  24 1 

short  stub.  Caramba  !  That  Frenchman  was  impaled 
on  a  twelve-inch  blade  before  he  knew  what  was  to 
happen." 

Not  only  is  the  gaucho  written  down  as  a  desperado  ; 
he  is  called  the  laziest  of  men,  and  in  proof  of  this 
charge  is  cited  the  fact  that  he  will  saddle  a  horse  and 
ride  half  a  mile  rather  than  walk  forty  rods.  But  the 
truth  is  that  in  his  peculiar  field  he  will  work  down  any 
other  kind  of  man.  Give  him  horses  and  set  him  to 
branding  cattle.  He  Avill  begin  his  day's  work  by  sad- 
dling the  horse  before  the  peep  of  the  longest  day  of  the 
year,  and  then  will  drink  a  cup  of  coifee,  mount,  and  go 
to  work.  For  seven  hours  he  Avill  gallop  about  the  ex- 
cited herd,  whirling  and  throwing  the  heavy  rope,  down- 
ing the  cattle  with  marvellous  precision,  and  then  out  of 
the  exuberance  of  his  spirits  gallop  against  the  stronger 
bulls  as  they  flee  from  the  hands  of  the  marker  to  send 
them  rolling  over  and  over  in  a  cloud  of  dust.  At  the 
end  of  seven  hours  or  so  he  will  want  what  he  calls 
breakfast — a  few  pounds  of  boiled  and  roasted  meat  will 
suffice,  and  if  he  have  a  couple  of  bullet-like  loaves  of 
bread  the  size  of  his  fist,  known  there  as  galletas,  he 
counts  it  a  feast.  This  eaten,  and  a  cigarette  rolled,  he 
mounts  and  continues  the  work  for  seven  hours  more. 
And  that  is  not  an  extraordinary  day,  either.  A  ride  of 
100  miles  in  a  day  is  not  counted  great  by  a  gaucho, 
while  seventy-five  miles  a  day  for  a  week,  during  which 
three  camps  will  be  made  without  food  or  water,  is  a 
matter  of  frequent  occurrence.  In  short,  the  gaucho 
does  any  work  that  anybody  can  do  on  a  horse,  and 
he  does  it  in  a  quantity  and  with  a  good  humor  that 
are  astonishing.     Attending  to  cattle  is  not  hard  work 

in  the   sense  that  ditch    digging  is   hard,    but    a   cow- 
16 


242         THE   GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORN. 

boy's  life  is  not  one  of  ease  in  either  North  or  South 
America. 

The  home  life  of  the  gaucho  of  the  pampas  can  be 
duplicated  on  the  plains  of  New  Mexico.  The  walls  of 
his  house  are  almost  invariably  sun-dried  blocks  of  mud, 
and  the  roof  is  a  flat  layer  of  mud  over  brush,  supported 
on  the  crooked  trunks  of  willow  trees  usually  found  in 
the  valleys  of  streams.  For  the  roof,  a  thatch  of  the 
long  pampa  grass  is  also  common.  This  is  much  better, 
because  it  is  tight  until  it  rots.  The  mud  roof  leaks  in 
time  of  rain  so  badly  that  the  family  moves  out  of  doors. 
Fact  !  The  floor  is  the  earth  as  the  builder  found  it. 
There  may  be  two  or  three  rooms,  but  one  usually  suffi- 
ces. Here  the  gaucho  and  his  family,  and  his  mother  or 
his  wife's  mother,  and  a  sister  or  two  pass  their  lives. 
A  few  skins  of  cattle  and  panthers  and  deer  will  serve 
for  a  bed  when  a  blanket  has  been  thrown  over  them. 
A  brazier  may  sometimes  be  found,  and  on  this  water  is 
boiled  to  make  viat^.  The  food — meat  of  various  kinds 
only — will  be  boiled  and  roasted  over  the  open  fire 
built  without  or  under  a  simple  shelter  in  the  wet  sea- 
son. There  is  often  no  table,  and  chairs  are  scarce. 
The  food,  if  served  on  a  table,  is  simply  heaped  up  on  a 
platter  or  dish  of  some  kind,  and  each  one  makes  a  grab 
at  the  heap.  As  often  as  otherwise  each  helps  himself 
from  the  pot  or  the  roast  as  it  hangs  over  the  fire.  One 
jabs  his  fork  into  a  convenient  spot  of  the  roast — forks 
are  common  on  the  pampas — and  with  a  clever  stroke  of 
his  big  sheath  knife  cuts  off  a  slab  of  meat.  One  end 
of  the  slab  is  flipped  into  the  mouth  when  an  upward 
stroke  of  the  knife  divides  the  slab,  leaving  a  fairly  con- 
venient piece  in  the  mouth.  Watching  a  family  of  eight 
or  ten — men,  women,  and  children — squatting  around  a 


THE  GA  UCHO  A  T  HOME.  243 

fire,  simultaneously  flipping  the  ends  of  slabs  of  meat 
into  their  mouths,  and  with  upward  strokes  of  keen- 
edged  knives  cutting  away  the  slabs  and  leaving  the 
mouth  full  of  the  steaming  roast,  the  whole  group  talk- 
ing and  laughing  continually,  meantime — that  is  one  of 
the  most  interesting,  if  not  the  most  pleasing,  experi- 
ences of  a  journey  in  the  Argentine  Republic.  The 
traveller  who  visits  a  gaucho  family  must  needs  join  in 
the  feast,  following  the  fashion  of  his  host,  and  it  is  a 
fact  that  more  than  one  tenderfoot  has  sliced  off  the  tip 
of  his  nose  in  an  effort  to  cut  off  his  mouthful  of  meat 
only. 

In  his  social  and  home  life  the  gaucho  is,  as  one  would 
expect  from  what  has  been  said,  an  affectionate  husband 
and  father  for  the  most  of  the  time,  with  occasional  out- 
bursts of  temper  when  he  treats  those  dependent  on  him 
with  great  cruelty.  Dancing  is  the  favorite  amusement 
of  the  sexes  when  together,  and  the  gaucho  is  then — 
and  at  every  opportunity,  in  fact — a  most  persistent  gal- 
lant, and  a  successful  one,  too. 

Next  to  an  intrigue,  the  gaucho  loves  to  gamble  with 
cards  and  play  billiards.  He  is  altogether  too  excitable 
to  make  a  gambler  fit  to  compete  with  the  cold-blooded 
professional  from  the  Rocky  Mountain  mining  camps, 
but  he  nevertheless  acquires  great  skill  in  the  manipula- 
tion of  a  deck  of  cards,  and  he  educates  his  eyes  until 
he  can  detect  the  slightest  marks  on  the  back  of  a  card, 
and  so  recognize  the  hand  of  an  opponent.  Indeed, 
cheating  is  counted  as  a  mark  of  superior  skill  in  play- 
ing any  game  of  cards.  The  gaucho  would  be  greatly 
astonished  as  well  as  angered  if  called  a  rascal  for 
cheating. 

At   convenient   distances  across  the  pampas,  and  at 


244         THE   GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORN. 

every  railway  station,  will  be  found  the  gaucho  saloons. 
They  are  mud-walled  huts,  of  course,  but  larger  than 
the  homes  of  the  gauchos.  The  walls  will  be  found  oc- 
cupied with  various  Government  ordinances  relating  to 
affairs  in  the  district,  and  especially  to  the  sale  of  liquors. 
With  these  will  be  great,  crude  lithographs,  representing 
events  in  the  last  revolution,  or  some  other  fighting 
scenes.  Mingled  with  both  ordinances  and  lithographs 
are  the  tiny  pictures  that  come  with  the  packages  of 
cigarettes  on  sale  everywhere.  These  cigarette  pictures 
are  of  a  sort  to  make  a  North  American,  or  even  a  North 
American  manufacturer  of  cigarettes,  gasp.  They  con- 
tain illustrations  of,  and  conversations  between,  men 
and  women  that  are  almost  always  indecent,  and  invari- 
ably of  a  sort  of  wit  that  makes  the  gaucho  scream  with 
laughter. 

The  pampa  saloons  sell  but  two  kinds  of  drinks  that 
are  reasonably  pure — rum  and  beer.  The  beer  is  made 
in  the  suburb  of  Buenos  Ayres — Quilmes — and  Quilmes 
beer  is  good.  The  native  rum  is  consumed  in  vast  quan- 
tities by  the  gauchos,  but  it  is  not  popular  with  ranch 
owners  simply  because  it  is  cheap.  One  would  as  soon 
expect  to  find  Stock  Exchange  brokers  working  the 
growler  after  a  day's  business  as  to  see  a  pampa  ranch 
owner  bring  out  a  bottle  of  rum. 

The  liquor  glasses  of  the  pampa  saloon  are  peculiar. 
They  are  water  tumblers  in  shape  and  outer  di- 
mensions, while  the  capacity  is  that  of  New  York 
whiskey  glasses.  The  amount  of  glass  in  one  will 
make  it  weigh  nearly  half  a  pound.  A  more  compact 
or  better  shaped  missile  for  a  saloon  fight  would  be 
hard  to  find. 

Gaucho  etiquette,   as  already  intimated,   is  a  matter 


THE   GAUCHO  AT  HOME.  245 

demanding  the  closest  study  of  the  stranger.  That  the 
gaucho  is  hospitable,  and  in  his  way  generous,  need  not 
be  said.  The  stranger  who  enters  a  pampa  saloon  will 
be  asked  to  drink,  without  fail.  If  he  wishes  to  drink 
he  should  say  so,  and  when  he  has  swallowed  his  potion 
should  ask  the  other  fellow  to  have  something.  But  if 
he  does  not  wish  to  drink  he  need  not  do  so,  provided 
he  knows  how  to  refuse.  The  correct  form  of  refusal 
is  to  say  : 

"  Many  thanks,  sir  ;  many  thanks.  I  have  had  all 
that  I  wish  to  drink,  but  will  you  not  give  me  the  pleas- 
ure of  paying  for  the  drinks  for  yourself  and  the  gentle- 
men, your  friends  ?  " 

To  this  the  gaucho  will  reply  by  declining  with 
thanks,  and  the  matter  is  ended  comfortably.  It  is 
an  offence  to  decline  bluntly  to  drink,  because  in  the 
gaucho's  mind  such  a  refusal  could  only  come  from 
one  who  felt  himself  very  much  above  the  company 
assembled. 

There  is  one  kind  of  a  drink,  however,  which  no  one 
should  refuse  without  first,  as  said  in  another  case,  get- 
ting the  drop  with  a  good  gun  on  the  other  fellow,  and 
that  drink  is  mate.  The  drinking  of  mate  among  the 
gauchos,  and  among  all  Argentines  for  that  matter,  is 
like  the  smoking  of  the  calumet  among  North  American 
Indians.  A  small  gourd  is  nearly  filled  with  the  pow- 
dered herb,  and  then  boiling  water  is  poured  in  to  fill 
the  cup.  This  done,  a  silver  tube  with  a  strainer  at  the 
bottom  is  poked  into  the  decoction,  and  the  drinker 
sucks  the  liquid  up  through  the  tube.  Now,  as  soon  as 
the  tea  has  been  sucked  out  the  tea-maker  fills  the  gourd 
once  more  with  hot  water,  and  passes  it  to  the  next 
person  in  the  group,  and   so  on.     The  one  gourd  and 


246         THE    GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORN. 

the  one  tube  must  serve  for  all  the  company.  It  will 
try  the  stomach  of  the  inexperienced  traveller  to  take 
the  tube  into  his  mouth  wet  from  the  lips  of  a  drunken 
gaucho,  but  he  had  better  do  it  with  thanks  and  look 
happy.  It  is  better  to  put  a  vile  tube  in  the  mouth 
than  to  receive  a  keen  knife  blade  in  the  belly.  And 
those  are  the  horns  of  the  dilemma  often  presented 
to  the  man  who  interviews  gauchos  in  their  native 
haunts.  And  of  all  things  it  is  the  worst  insult  pos- 
sible to  wipe  off  a  mouth-piece  before  taking  it  into 
the  mouth. 

Though  ignorant  of  books,  the  gaucho  is  a  keen  ob- 
server of  nature.  He  is  a  thinker,  bright,  too,  if  not  a 
deep  one.  His  terms  and  sayings  ought  to  be  gathered 
into  a  book  for  the  instruction,  as  well  as  the  amuse- 
ment of  his  fellow-man.  He  calls  the  chase  of  the  os- 
trich the  wild  mirth  of  the  desert.  The  panther  is  "  the 
friend  of  man,"  because  it  has  been  known  to  defend 
men  from  the  attack  of  the  more  vicious  jaguar,  and  be- 
cause it  often  comes  to  purr  about  solitary  travellers  on 
the  pampas,  as  a  tame  cat  might  do.  The  rattlesnake, 
a  species  not  known  in  Patagonia,  however,  is  the  bell 
snake.  The  dragon  fly  is  "  the  son  of  the  southwest 
gale,"  because  that  wind  often  brings  clouds  of  these 
insects.  There  is  a  huge  and  fierce  spider  on  the  hotter 
pampas  that  does  not  hesitata  to  attack  man — a  most  re- 
pulsive and  fearsome  being.  The  gauchos  have  a  weird 
song  in  which  they  tell  of  an  army  of  these  that  came  to 
attack  a  city,  and  although  the  men  of  the  town  fought 
bravely,  all  were  routed  and  overwhelmed  by  the  terrible 
foe. 

They  say  that  horses  know  an  Indian  camp  by  its 
smell  when   many  leagues  down  the  wind  from  it,  and 


THE  GA  UCHO  A  T  HOME.  247 

are  stampeded  by  the  odor,  because  in  the  old  days  the 
Indians  were  predatory.  They  say  that  pampa  deer  kill 
a  venomous  snake  by  running  around  it  and  exhaling 
an  odor  from  the  leg  glands  that  eventually  suffocates 
the  reptile.  Many  people  affect  not  to  believe  any  of 
this  class  of  gaucho  stories.  But  ever  since  there  were 
gauchos,  they  have  been  drying  the  stomachs  of  os- 
triches, and  after  powdering  the  stuff  have  been  taking 
it  for  disorders  of  the  stomach,  while  it  is  only  witliin 
late  years  that  pepsin  has  been  on  sale  among  civilized 
people  as  a  remedy  for  dyspepsia. 

The  worst  feature,  all  things  considered,  of  the  char- 
acter of  the  gaucho  is  his  cruelty  to  animals.  Cattle 
herding  or  growing  on  the  range  is  naturally  and  inevi- 
tably blunting  to  the  finer  feelings  of  the  herders.  In 
the  States,  as  in  the  Argentine,  it  is  made  a  cruel  busi- 
ness by  law.  The  law  provides  that  range  cattle  must 
be  branded,  and  branding  is  infamously  cruel.  From 
branding  cattle  to  deliberately  torturing  them  for  the 
pleasure  of  seeing  their  sufferings  is  but  a  step.  I  have 
known  an  Oxford  graduate  to  skin  a  fox  alive — so  great 
is  the  degrading  influence  of  cowboy  life.  But  the 
gaucho  does  not  become  degraded  in  this  respect ;  he  is 
born  so.  Of  the  gaucho's  religion,  a  sentence  will  suf- 
fice. He  would  be  insulted  were  one  to  tell  him  he  was 
not  a  Christian — meaning  a  Catholic — but  he  has  never 
heard  of  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount,  and  is  as  incapable 
of  appreciating  its  doctrines  as  is  a  Yankee  ])reacher 
who  believes  in  the  foreordained  damnation  of  human 
souls. 

Compared  with  North  American  cowboys,  we  find 
that  there  are  more  rough  riders  among  the  gauchos. 
They  do  not  practise  so  many  fancy  tricks,  such  as  rid- 


248         THE    GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORN. 

ing  in  quadrilles,  but  they  can  hang  over  the  side  of  a 
horse  to  escape  a  bullet,  or  still  hang  on  to  the  horse 
when  dead.  They  know  not  the  glories  of  a  Stetson  hat, 
with  its  band  of  gold  braid,  but  solid  silver  saddle  horns 
and  stirrups  and  plaitings  on  saddle  flaps  are  their  de- 
light. They  have  not  that  provident  ambition  which 
turns  cowboys  into  bankers  and  statesmen,  but  they 
have  a  hearty  contempt  for  a  shallow  pate,  they  hate  a 
horse  thief  and  lynch  him  with  fierce  glee,  and  they 
despise  the  man  who  kills  with  a  bullet  as  one  who  is  a 
coward  and  who  misses  the  most  ecstatic  thrill  of  delight 
that  comes  to  a  man  hunter — the  delight  of  feeling  the 
thrust  of  the  knife  that  cleaves  the  victim's  heart. 
They  may  be  savages,  but  they  are  not  animals.  They 
laugh  and  sing,  dance  and  flirt,  gamble  and  drink, 
race  and  fight,  work  and  endure,  and  so  long  as  they 
do  not  lose  their  horses — so  long,  to  use  their  own 
figurative  expression,  as  they  do  not  lose  their  feet,  they 
never  see  a  dull  day  and  rarely  feel  a  sorrow  worth  the 
mention. 

Among  the  great  variety  of  books  in  South  America 
now  accessible  to  readers  of  English  the  majority  refer 
in  one  way  or  another  to  the  Argentine  Republic  partly 
because  it  is  a  leading  nation  there,  but  chiefly  because 
Buenos  Ayres  is,  as  its  people  say, "  the  Athens  of  South 
America."  Nearly  all  these  books  have  been  written  by 
Englishmen,  and  it  is  to  English  writers  that  Americans 
commonly  look  with  confidence  for  information  about 
many  other  things,  and  in  many  other  matters,  than  those 
of  geography.  Because  of  this  tendency  and  trustful- 
ness of  American  readers  I  think  I  cannot  do  better,  in 
concluding  this  sketch  of  Argentine  gauchos,  than  to 


THE  GA  UCHO  A  T  HOME. 


249 


quote  a  sentence  from  a  work  entitled  Argentine,  Pata- 
gonian,  and  Chilian  Sketches,  by  Mr.  C.  E.  Akers.  He 
says  (page  115)  :  "The  native  gaucho,  too,  is  not  a  very 
highly  interesting  individual." 


CHAPTER  XIII. 


PATAGONIA  S    TRAMPS. 


A  NUMBER  of  surprises  await  the  traveller  who 
'*■  visits  Patagonia,  but  probably  none  is  greater  than 
the  sight  of  the  tramps  sure  to  be  found  at  almost  every 
port.  There  is  nothing  especially  surprising  in  the 
quality  or  grade  of  the  tramps  ;  they  are  the  same  un- 
cleanly loafers  that  offend  the  eye  on  the  highways  of 
the  United  States,  but  to  find  them  on  the  desert  and 
tramping  from  place  to  place,  that  is  remarkable. 

For,  consider  what  Patagonia  between  the  Rio  Negro 
and  the  Strait  of  Magellan  is  as  a  place  of  human  resi- 
dence. The  settlements  are  hundreds  of  miles  apart. 
One  who  rides  from  place  to  place  cannot  travel  in  a 
straight  line,  but  must  go  hither  and  yon  to  reach  the 
springs  of  sweet  water,  and  even  then,  in  many  places, 
the  known  springs  are  from  loo  to  130  miles  apart.  In 
very  many  parts  of  the  desert,  only  the  best  horses  and 
men  can  stand  the  terrors  of  thirst  and  heat  by  day  and 
of  thirst  and  cold  by  night. 

Worse  yet,  it  is  for  the  most  part  a  trackless  desert. 
No  wagons  are  used,  and  the  hoofs  of  the  unshod  horses 
that  are  occasionally  taken  over  the  route  do  not  leave  a 
trail  that  any  one  can  follow.     Nevertheless,  in  spite  of 

250 


Patagonia'' s  tramps.  .       251 

all  this — in  spite  even  of  the  fierce  storms  of  sleet  and 
hail — tramps  are  to  be  found  at  about  every  settlement, 
and  in  some  way  they  get  on  from  place  to  place,  seeing 
the  country  in  true  tramp  fashion,  and  living  on  the 
food  and  wearing  the  cast-off  clothing  and  drinking  the 
liquor  they  beg  from  the  more  or  less  industrious  people 
found  in  the  region.  I  say  more  or  less  industrious 
people  advisedly,  for  the  reason  that  tramps  are  found 
not  only  among  the  ranches  of  the  energetic  sheep  farm- 
ers, but  also  in  the  wigwams  of  the  Indians. 

I  got  my  first  view  of  a  Patagonian  tramp  at  the  first 
Patagonian  port  I  entered — Madryn,  on  the  shore  of 
New  Gulf.  The  Captain  of  the  Port  had  a  United 
States  wife,  and,  on  learning  my  nationality,  made  me 
at  home  at  his  house.  While  I  was  in  the  parlor  talking 
to  a  number  of  people  a  man  came  to  the  open  door  and 
knocked.  The  Captain's  wife  came  to  the  Captain  and 
said  : 

"  There  is  that  vagabond  again."  Then  she  asked  me 
if  I  had  expected  to  find  tramps  like  the  Yankee  article 
in  Patagonia.  I  followed  the  Captain  out  in  order  to 
see  the  fellow,  and  found  a  man  with  unkempt  red  hair 
under  a  badly  worn  soft  hat,  a  face  that  was  of  a  pinkish 
red  color  and  blotched  with  big  freckles,  a  thin,  sandy 
moustache,  and  thin,  sandy  beard,  a  coat  and  trousers 
but  no  shirt  or  socks,  and  a  pair  of  shoes  that  were 
almost  devoid  of  soles.  In  the  presence  of  the  official 
he  was  meek  and  deprecatory.  He  wanted  to  make  an 
explanation,  but  the  official  would  not  listen.  A  naval 
sailor  was  called  and  ordered  to  put  the  tramp  into  a 
lockup.  Thereat  the  tramp  brightened  up  greatly,  and 
walked  away  talking  cheerfully  in  very  bad  Spanish  to 
the  sailor. 


252         THE   GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORN. 

Then  I  learned  something  about  the  tramp.  He  had 
appeared  at  Madryn  some  weeks  before  that,  saying  he 
had  come  from  Buenos  Ayres  on  a  ship.  He  was  look- 
ing for  work,  too.  Still  no  ship  was  then  in  from  Buenos 
Ayres,  and  when  ranch  work  was  offered  to  him  he  said 
that  it  was  a  kind  of  work  that  he  could  not  do.  He 
loafed  about  Madryn,  sleeping  in  the  lee  of  one  house  or 
another,  and  begging  food  first  of  the  few  families  there 
and  then  of  the  seamen  who  helped  to  keep  up  the 
dignity  of  the  Government  establishments.  When  people 
began  to  treat  him  coolly  he  wanted  some  one  to  take 
him  to  a  little  settlement  sixteen  miles  away  along  the 
shore  of  the  gulf.  No  one  would  do  it,  so  he  started 
away  afoot.  He  had  just  returned  from  that  settlement 
when  I  saw  him. 

"  What  will  you  do  with  him  ?  "  I  asked. 

"  Give  him  some  breakfast." 

"  And  then  ?  " 

"  He  will  have  dinner.  In  the  morning,  after  coffee, 
he  must  go." 

There  was  but  one  route  for  him  to  travel — the  little 
railroad  that  led  to  the  Welsh  colony  of  Chubut.  It 
was  a  route  fifty-one  miles  long  and  without  water,  but 
no  one  doubted  that  he  would  walk  it  without  trouble. 
I  guess  he  did  n't  walk  it,  however.  The  one  train  of 
this  road  came  to  town  next  day.  I  saw  the  tramp 
standing  beside  it  while  the  crew  were  busy  with  their 
work.  There  were  in  the  train  some  open  box  cars,  and 
some  that  could  be  easily  opened.  While  I  was  looking 
at  the  crew  the  tramp  disappeared  and  I  saw  no  more 
of  him,  although  I  was  in  Madryn  two  days  longer.  I 
think  he  beat  his  way  to  the  colony  in  a  freight  car, 
tramp  fashion.     The  Welsh  colony  is  sixty  miles  long 


PATAGONIA'S    TRAMPS.  253 

and  has  some  thousands  of  inhabitants,  all  of  whom 
were  once  poor,  but  have  now  at  least  enough  to  eat  and 
to  wear.  They  remember  when  they  were  poor,  and  they 
will  give  food  and  cast-off  clothes  even  to  this  vagabond. 

Still  there  was  a  mystery  about  the  fellow.  I  wanted 
to  learn  how  he  got  to  Madryn  in  the  first  place,  but  all 
that  he  would  say  was  that  he  had  come  in  a  ship,  which 
was  obviously  untrue,  unless  he  had  come  from  some  small 
sailing  vessel  beating  along  the  coast.  But  that  seems 
an  impossible  explanation  of  the  matter,  and  the  mystery 
remains. 

When  in  the  course  of  time  I  reached  Rio  Santa  Cruz 
and  went  ashore  I  found  a  drowsy-looking  white  man 
sitting  on  the  beach  talking  to  a  native  Argentine  of 
mixed  blood.  The  white  man,  though  somewhat  sleepy, 
was  indignant,  to  judge  by  his  expressions  and  accent. 
Seeing  me  he  stopped  his  flow  of  profanity  for  a  moment, 
and  then  said  : 

"  Beg  pardon,  s-s-stranger.     Are  you  English  ?  " 

"  No,  I  'm  a  Yankee,"  said  I. 

"  Glad  to — hie — hear  it.  That 's  whi'-whi'  man's 
country.  S-s-see  tha'  ship?"  (Pointing  to  a  brigantine 
anchored  in  the  stream.)  "  S-she  's  English.  S-so  'm  I. 
T' — hie — t'  'ell  with  her.  I  'm  one  of  her  crew.  Th' 
Captain  lef  me — hie — here  becau'  drunk.  S-s-said  this 
bes'  place  for  me  ;  going  t'  leave  me  here." 

"Oh,  I  guess  not.  He's  got  to  carry  you  back  to 
London,  or  wherever  the  ship  cleared  from." 

"  Lonnon  be  damned.  I  'm  from  S-s-sandy  Point. 
Wish  t' — hie — 'ell  I  was  there  now.  Tha'  's  God's  coun- 
try, eh  ?  'F  'e  don'  take  me  'board  to-ni',  going  walk 
S-s-sandy  Point  surer  'n  fate." 

Finding  conversation  with  the  sailor   growing   more 


254         THE    GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORN. 

difficult  with  each  sentence,  I  asked  the  Argentine  man 
about  him,  and  learned  that  he  was  originally  one  of  a 
crew  of  a  ship  wrecked  on  the  coast  of  Tierra  del  Fuego 
several  years  ago.  The  crew  had  in  some  way  reached 
Punta  Arenas,  or  Sandy  Point,  as  the  English  call  it,  in 
the  Strait  of  Magellan,  where  most  of  them  had  found 
life  so  pleasant  that  they  could  not  tear  themselves  away 
for  any  length  of  time.  This  man  had  been  sailing  in 
the  fleet  of  little  traders  that  have  Punta  Arenas  for 
headquarters,  but  had  signed  articles  on  the  brigantine, 
and  was  in  duty  bound  to  return  in  her  to  England. 
She  had  come  into  the  Rio  Santa  Cruz  for  a  cargo  of 
wool,  and  was  then  well-nigh  loaded.  The  men,  of 
course,  had  been  obliged  to  come  ashore  for  the  wool 
with  small  boats,  and  as  a  result  this  man  had  been  able 
to  get  drunk.  He  had  been  worthless  as  a  foremast 
hand,  and  so  the  skipper  had  taken  advantage  of  his 
drunkenness  to  get  rid  of  him. 

"  Well,  will  he  walk  to  Punta  Arenas  ?  "  said  I. 

"  Y'  are  dam'  ri'  I  will,"  interrupted  the  sailor. 

"  Who  knows  ? "  said  the  native,  with  a  shrug  of  his 
shoulders.  "  Many  of  them  try  it,  as  he  will.  Not  many 
arrive  there." 

The  last  I  saw  of  this  fellow  was  on  the  evening  of  my 
last  day  in  Santa  Cruz.  He  was  curling  down  to  sleep 
on  the  lee  side  of  a  bunch  of  bushes.  He  was  rather 
drunker  than  when  I  first  saw  him.  He  had  been  drunk 
every  day  while  I  was  in  port,  and  this,  too,  though 
penniless. 

Down  at  the  Rio  Gallegos  I  found  two  more  English- 
speaking  tramps.  Both  claimed  Punta  Arenas  as  their 
home,  and  both  spoke  of  it  as  the  chief  centre  of  the 
world's  delights.     Both  were  miners,  they  said,  and  they 


PATAGONIA'S   TRAMPS.  255 

had  come  from  the  low-tide  diggings  a  few  leagues  down 
the  beach.  Both  had  been  sailors  at  one  time  and 
shepherds  at  another,  and  both  were  about  as  worthless 
as  any  vagabonds  I  ever  saw.  They  were  there  during 
all  the  time  of  my  stay,  and  they  took  pains  to  speak  to 
me  at  every  opportunity.  They  said  each  day  they  were 
going  to  start  the  next  day  for  the  strait  colony,  but  I 
guess  they  remained  where  they  were  until  the  authori- 
ties forced  them  away. 

That  the  tramps  were  numerous  enough  at  Gallegos  to 
be  considered  a  public  nuisance  was  evident  from  the 
fact  that  copies  of  a  tramp  ordinance  were  posted  con- 
spicuously in  the  bar-rooms.  This  provided  that  all 
persons  found  within  the  town  limits  who  were  without 
occupation  or  employment  or  means  of  support,  and  any 
one  found  begging  should  be  arrested  by  the  police,  and 
on  conviction  before  the  Justice  set  to  work  "  on  any 
public  improvements  that  the  magistrate  may  direct  for 
not  more  than  two  months." 

I  called  the  attention  of  one  of  the  tramps  I  met  to 
this  ordinance. 

"  I  twigged  it  the  first  day,"  he  said.  "  I  have  n't  done 
much  but  lie  around  and  twig  things  since  I  came,  but 
I  've  got  an  occupation.  Yes,  sir,  I  'm  a  miner,  and  I  'm 
here  to  buy  horses  for  the  outfit  down  the  beach.  Just 
as  soon  as  I  can  get  a  herd  of  $50  horses  together  at  $20 
each  I  shall  cut  this  town  dead." 

Inquiry  at  the  various  ports  showed  that  professional 
tramping  in  Patagonia  had  developed  from  a  variety  of 
causes.  In  the  north  the  old-time  professional  loafers 
simply  extended  their  journey  from  the  capital  city  to  the 
Rio  Negro.  It  seems  that  cattle  and  sheep  breeding 
have  in  some  way  a  strong  tendency  to  make  men  over- 


256         THE   GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORN. 

hospitable.  On  the  pampas  of  the  Argentine,  in  the 
sheep  stations  of  Australia,  and  among  the  ranches  of 
the  American  prairies  the  wayfarer  is  not  only  welcome, 
but  is  made  to  feel  that  he  is  so.  In  the  United  States 
the  abuse  of  this  hospitality  has  pretty  well  destroyed  its 
old-time  heartiness.  The  Yankee  ranchman  now  wants 
to  know  the  character  of  his  guests  before  making  them 
welcome.  In  the  Argentine  known  loafers  are  invited 
in.  Men  are  found  there  who  own  horses  and  ride  about 
from  ranch  to  ranch,  never  doing  a  stroke  of  work  from 
one  year  to  another,  and  yet  are  made  welcome  at  a  sin- 
gle ranch  table  for  weeks  and  months  at  a  stretch.  I 
have  never  heard  of  such  a  custom  elsewhere,  except  in 
Australia.  These  pampa  vagabonds  have  extended  their 
routes  to  the  Rio  Negro  ranches  since  the  destruction  of 
the  Indians  made  it  possible  to  settle  the  Rio  Negro 
valley. 

Next  came  the  tramp  element  to  the  Welsh  colony  at 
Chubut.  These  Welshmen  were  supported  absolutely 
for  six  years,  and  in  part  for  ten  or  more  by  the  Govern- 
ment. As  a  rule,  the  Welsh  were  of  too  sturdy  a  make 
to  be  injured  by  the  charity,  but  some  were  overcome  by 
it.  They  learned  the  desert  routes  from  the  Indians. 
They  even  strolled  away  with  wandering  bands  of  Te- 
huelches  and  became  desert  nomads. 

Then,  when  the  Welsh  had  prospered  and  were  able 
to  employ  laborers  on  their  farms,  there  were  disagree- 
ments between  masters  and  men,  which  ended  in  the 
men  going  away,  anywhere  to  get  clear  of  the  hated  em- 
ployer. 

When  I  was  at  Gallegos  I  fell  in  with  William  Clark, 
formerly  of  Salem,  Mass.,  of  whom  mention  has  been 
made,  who  owned  a  fine  ranch  up  the  river.     Clark  had 


PATAGONIA'S    TRAMPS.  25/ 

Only  two  days  before  left  his  ranch  to  come  to  town,  and 
the  first  thing  he  told  me  was  that  he  had  been  enter- 
taining a  citizen  of  the  United  States  who  had  come 
along  on  afoot  without  a  cent  of  money  and  scant  cloth- 
ing. The  man  had  been  employed  on  a  ranch  by  one 
whom  Clark  knew  to  be  a  hard  master,  and  had  left  be- 
cause of  ill-treatment,  going  away  without  taking  his  own 
clothes.  Clark  was  indignant  at  the  treatment  the  Yan- 
kee had  received,  and  not  only  fitted  him  out  comfort- 
ably, but  gave  him  a  good  lift  on  his  way  towards  the 
more  settled  region  to  the  south.  Very  likely  this  Yan- 
kee wayfarer  was  a  reputable  man,  but  Clark  admitted 
that  vagabonds  were  becoming  numerous — men  who  told 
stories  of  ill-treatment  at  some  ranch  afar  off  to  gain  the 
sympathy  of  the  impulsive  ranchman  to  whom  he  was 
talking. 

In  connection  with  the  tramp  of  Patagonia  must  be 
mentioned  the  white  men,  who  for  more  than  fifty  years 
have  made  their  homes  among  the  desert  Indians  for 
varying  lengths  of  time.  The  Tehuelches  learned  a  long 
time  ago  that  white  men,  and  especially  white  sailors, 
were  skilful  in  a  variety  of  arts  useful  to  the  Indians,  and 
moreover  that  they  almost  invariably  carried  knives  and 
other  useful  or  ornamental  things  in  their  pockets.  When- 
ever a  ship  came  to  anchor  in  the  Strait  of  Magellan  in 
former  years  the  Indians  came  down  to  the  beach  to  wel- 
come the  crew  ashore.  First  of  all,  there  was  the  trad- 
ing of  furs  and  feathers  for  rum,  tobacco,  and  tools,  and 
the  last  of  all,  was  the  coaxing  of  some  of  the  crew  to 
desert  the  ship.  The  Indians  were  wily.  They  told 
the  sailorman  that  he  was  so  skilful  in  his  arts  he  should 
be  made  a  chief,  and  so  become  entitled  to  a  fine  wig- 
wam, many  horses,  and  all  the  wives  he  wanted.     Jack's 


258         THE   GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORN. 

bosom  heaved  with  joy  at  the  bare  thought  of  such 
luxuries,  and  when  opportunity  offered  he  gathered  as 
much  plunder  as  possible  from  the  vessel  and  fled  to 
the  Indians. 

Then  he  found  he  had  made  the  mistake  of  his  life. 
He  was  not  only  robbed  of  all  his  plunder,  but  in  every 
case  was  stripped  of  all  his  clothing  except  a  shirt 
or  a  thin  coat,  a  pair  of  trousers  and  possibly  a 
pair  of  shoes.  In  many  cases  the  shoes  were  taken 
also,  leaving  the  poor  devil  to  walk  barefooted  over 
the  stony  desert.  Instead  of  becoming  a  chief  he  was 
made  a  slave,  who  had  to  gather  fuel  and  to  do  other 
work  beneath  the  dignity  of  the  lordly  Tehuelche.  He 
had  to  walk  when  the  camp  was  moved,  and,  what 
was  worse  than  all  else — it  simply  broke  Jack's  heart 
entirely  —  instead  of  having  many  pretty  Indian  girls 
for  wives,  he  became  "  the  white  fool,"  the  butt  of  the 
entire  band  down  to  the  smallest  youngster.  Neither 
guile  nor  bravado  nor  real  bravery  ever  availed  to  make 
Jack  a  chief,  though  cases  are  known  where  a  man  of 
good  natural  abilities  did  work  out  the  condition  of  a 
slave  to  that  of  a  warrior.  The  lives  these  men  led  were 
of  the  greatest  hardship  on  account  of  the  severity  of  the 
climate  and  their  lack  of  clothing,  so  that  many  died 
from  exposure.  Others  were  killed  in  quarrels,  and  the 
happiest  fate  that  could  befall  the  runaway  was  to  be 
carried  back  to  his  Captain  and  delivered  up  for  a  ran- 
som, that  he  might  receive  the  punishment  he  deserved 
when  he  stole  from  the  ship  and  his  comrades.  The 
Rev.  Titus  Coan,  the  Yankee  missionary  who  went  to 
Patagonia,  but  concluded  that  the  Arab-like  life  of  the 
Tehuelches  was  unsuited  to  Yankee  missionary  tastes, 
found  runaway  sailors  among  the   Tehuelches.      That 


PATAGONIA'S    TRAMPS.  259 

was  in  1833.  I  did  not  see  any  of  them  when  in  Pata- 
gonia, but  the  gauchos  told  about  them,  and  I  have  no 
doubt  they  are  to  be  found  there  now. 

It  is  common  for  people  of  New  York  who  have  ac- 
cumulated enough  money  to  enable  them  to  retire  from 
business  to  speak  of  themselves  as  "  living  in  indepen- 
dent circumstances."  They  can  live  without  work.  These 
tramps  are  also  in  independent  circumstances.  They 
can  live  without  work.  It  was  written,  that  if  a  man  will 
not  work  neither  shall  he  eat.  We  now  find  ourselves 
obliged  to  modify  the  old-time  interpretation  of  this 
scripture.  I  do  not  pretend  to  offer  any  suggestion  in 
the  matter  of  relieving  the  toilers  from  the  incubus  of 
the  loafers  but  those  who  are  engaged  in  solving  the 
problem,  ought  to  know  and  to  consider  the  fact  that  in 
desert  Patagonia  the  number  of  tramps  is  greater  in  pro- 
portion to  the  population  than  it  is  in  the  well-settled 
parts  of  the  United  States. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

THE    JOURNEY     ALONGSHORE. 

IT  was  in  the  month  of  April — and  that  is  to  say  in  the 
*  fall  of  the  year — that  I  started  on  my  voyage  in  the 
wake  of  the  old-time  explorers  Magellan,  Wallis,  Cook, 
Bougainville,  and  the  others  whose  names  are  associated 
with  the  Cape  Horn  region.  I  had  passed  the  previous 
summer  in  the  fever-laden  atmosphere  of  Rio  Janeiro — 
had  sweltered  and  fumed  under  torrid  heats  and  breathed 
the  odors  from  the  streets  that  are  too  vile  for  descrip- 
tion until  the  thoughts  of  ice  floes  and  of  the  sweet 
breath  of  a  gale  from  off  the  snow-capped  ranges  of  the 
far  south  were  like  dreams  of  heaven.  But  just  where  I 
was  to  go — what  points  in  the  Patagonia  coast  and 
southward  I  was  to  visit — and  how  I  was  to  make  the 
journey,  I  did  not  know.  Indeed,  when  I  reached  Buenos 
Ayres,  I  was  half  ashamed  to  make  the  inquiries  which 
the  lack  of  a  guide  book  made  necessary. 

However,  I  made  bold  to  confess  my  ignorance,  and 
eventually  learned  that  the  Argentine  Government 
kept  three  naval  transports  regularly  employed  in  voy- 
ages along  the  coast  to  the  south,  and  that  one  was  load* 
ing  for  the  voyage. 

260 


THE  JOURNEY  ALONGSHORE.  261 

Four  days  later  I  piled  my  baggage  into  a  carriage 
and  drove  to  the  ship.  I  found  the  deck  thronged  with 
people  and  littered  with  baggage.  The  officers  were 
about  in  gold-laced  uniforms.  The  people  were  in  holi- 
day attire.  A  gang  of  'longshoremen  gathered  about 
the  carriage  to  get  at  my  baggage,  but  the  ship's  steward 
came  to  my  rescue  before  I  had  ceased  wondering  how 
I  could  escape,  and  in  a  trice  everything  was  on  deck 
and  under  the  eyes  of  policemen  in  sailor  uniform  who 
guard  the  docks  there.  Then  I  had  leisure  to  look  the 
steamer  over  in  a  cursory  fashion.  Here  is  what  I 
learned  : 

The  name  of  the  ship  was  that  of  the  capital  of 
Argentine  Tierra  del  Fuego — Ushuaia.  She  had  been 
built  in  Stockholm  as  a  River  Platte  lighter,  but  after 
some  years  of  service  in  this  humble  capacity  had  been 
purchased  by  the  Argentine  Government  and  made  over 
for  use  in  carrying  troops,  supplies,  passengers,  and 
freight  to  and  from  the  various  settlements  established 
on  the  southern  coasts  in  1884. 

When  the  transformation  was  complete  there  was  a 
saloon  14x7  feet  large  and  6  feet  high  between  beams. 
On  each  side  of  the  saloon  were  two  state-rooms,  of  which 
the  forward  ones  were  fitted  with  four  bunks  and 
the  others  with  two  bunks.  The  larger  state-rooms 
had  the  bunks  lying  athwartships  and  the  floor  space 
between  the  bunks  was  20  inches  wide.  In  the  state- 
rooms aft  the  bunks  lay  fore  and  aft,  and  because  of  the 
curve  in  the  side  of  the  ship,  were  narrower  at  the  after 
end  than  the  forward.  There  was  a  little  more  spare 
space  in  these  rooms  than  in  the  rooms  designed  for 
four  passengers,  however,  and  so  they  were  to  be  pre- 
ferred. 

/ 


262         THE   GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORN. 

As  said,  the  saloon  was  7x14  feet  large.  In  its  centre 
was  a  table  3^x8  feet  large,  while  the  companionway 
came  down  just  forward  of  the  table.  On  the  whole, 
the  space  left  seemed  scant,  especially  when  I  learned 
that  we  numbered  ten  passengers,  of  whom  two  were 
ladies,  the  wife  and  daughter  of  a  Frenchman,  bound  to 
Santa  Cruz  to  open  a  wholesale  general  store. 

Pretty  soon  there  was  a  call  to  breakfast,  and  then  we 
began  to  realize  just  hoAv  scant  the  room  was.  Besides 
the  ten  passengers  we  had  the  purser,  the  ship's  agent, 
and  another  man  at  the  table,  and  the  table  was  never 
intended  to  seat  more  than  eight.  There  were  six  of 
us  on  each  side  of  the  table  that  was  but  eight  feet  long. 
The  steward  could  not  pass  around  the  table  to  serve 
the  food  ;  he  could  only  bring  the  platters  and  tureens 
down  the  ladder  and  place  them  at  the  head  of  the  table, 
and  then  the  purser  had  to  do  the  rest  without  aid.  How- 
ever, the  food  was  abundant,  and,  by  the  Italian  stan- 
dard, well  cooked.  People  who  don't  like  garlic  might 
have  objected  to  some  of  the  dishes,  but  a  traveller 
should  learn  to  like  garlic.  We  had  cold  beef  tongue 
with  onion  salad,  soup,  a  beef-stew  called  puchero  that 
includes  squashes  among  its  vegetables,  stewed  tripe, 
beefsteak  fried  with  onions  and  tomatoes,  and  we  fin- 
ished with  fruit  and  black  coffee.  It  was  rather  awkward 
sitting  with  one's  shoulders  edgewise  to  the  table,  but 
we  got  acquainted  the  easier  for  the  discomfort  and 
enjoyed  the  meal. 

After  breakfast  we  went  on  deck  to  smoke.  We  found 
the  steward  washing  the  dishes  of  the  whole  six  courses 
in  a  single  soup  tureen  full  of  water.  The  amount  of 
water  seemed  rather  small  to  me,  but  perhaps  I  was  mis- 
taken, because  when  I  called  the  attention  of  my  fellow- 


THE  JOURNEY  ALONGSHORE.  263 

passengers  to  it  they  did  not  think  it  remarkable.  They 
said  he  used  a  fresh  tureen  of  water  for  each  course. 
Perhaps  he  did,  but  I  'm  bound  to  say  the  dish  water  as 
I  saw  it  was  thicker  than  the  soup  we  had  eaten  from 
the  tureen  an  hour  before. 

At  12  o'clock  sharp,  the  hour  of  sailing,  the  Captain 
mounted  the  bridge.  He  was  a  slender,  swarthy  little 
fellow  with  straight  black  hair  and  a  thin  moustache. 
His  name  was  H.  V.  Chvvaites,  and  I  learned  that  he 
had  reached  a  rank  corresponding  to  the  Yankee  grade 
of  commander  in  sixteen  years.  Lighting  a  cigarette  he 
shoved  his  hands  into  his  pockets  and  ordered  the  lines 
cast  off.  Nobody  seemed  to  think  it  an  unusual  circum- 
stance that  a  naval  Captain  on  the  bridge  should  smoke 
cigarettes  or  put  his  hands  in  his  pockets. 

As  we  rounded  the  turn  in  the  bend  of  the  channel 
below  the  docks  the  pilot  (a  member  of  the  ship's  staff) 
ordered  the  quartermaster  to  right  the  wheel  immediately 
after  the  captain  had  ordered  it  hard  over,  and  the  result 
was  that  we  had  to  anchor  to  avoid  grounding.  Later 
still  in  the  long  channel  leading  to  the  roadstead  the 
pilot  did  the  same  thing  again.  We  were  steaming  along 
with  a  stiff  breeze  over  the  starboard  bow,  while  the 
steamer's  nose  was  high  out  of  water.  In  two  minutes 
more  we  were  skating  along  over  Rio  Plate  mud  outside 
the  channel,  and  the  upshot  was  that  we  had  to  call  two 
tugs,  which  eventually  towed  us  stern  first  into  the  chan- 
nel once  more.  Having  had  some  experience  with  ship 
captains,  I  was  simply  astounded  when  I  found  that  this 
one  did  not  swear  at  the  pilot  for  running  the  ship  out 
of  the  channel  ;  why,  he  did  not  even  remonstrate.  He 
simply  lighted  a  fresh  cigarette  and  bowed  his  thanks  to 
the  tug  captains. 


264         THE   GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORN. 

That  afternoon  the  stiff  breeze  became  a  gale,  and 
some  of  the  passengers  looked  with  nervous  apprehen- 
sion at  the  spars  of  three  different  wrecked  ships  that 
we  passed,  but  it  appeared  from  the  behavior  of  our 
steamer  that  she  was  a  remarkable  sea  boat.  Although 
but  one  hundred  and  sixty  feet  long  and  about  thirty- 
five  broad,  she  rolled  so  little  in  the  sea  that  no  racks 
were  needed  on  the  table  when  dinner  was  served.  In 
fact,  the  few  of  us  not  seasick  had  a  very  pleasant  time 
at  the  meal,  for  we  had  plenty  of  room. 

Night  brought  new  matters  of  interest.  In  spite  of 
the  storm  it  was  a  warm,  oppressive  night,  and  the  air  of 
the  cabin  would  have  been  stifling  even  with  the  com- 
panionway  wide  open.  The  seasick  ones  wanted  the 
doors  closed,  and  so  they  were  closed.  Worse  yet,  I 
had  chosen  one  of  the  after  state-rooms  because  it  had 
only  two  bunks.  It  had  neither  port-hole  nor  skylight 
nor  window  of  any  kind.  The  door  was  small,  and  it 
fitted  the  doorway,  I  thought,  closer  than  any  other  two 
parts  of  the  cabin  fitted  each  other.  When  shut  my 
room  was  hermetically  sealed.  My  room-mate  was  very 
seasick  and  in  a  chill.  Would  I  be  so  kind  as  to  keep 
the  door  closed  ?  There  was  but  one  answer.  I  had  to 
say  it  would  afford  me  great  pleasure  to  do  so.  Reeking 
with  perspiration  I  stripped,  got  into  night  clothes,  and 
turned  down  the  bedding,  and  found  both  sheets  and 
blanket  moister  from  the  humidity  of  the  air  than  the 
shirt  I  had  discarded. 

Although  not  wishing  to  anticipate  my  story,  I  may 
say  I  never  saw  the  bedding  a  whit  drier  during  the  nine 
long  weeks  I  was  on  board. 

Morning  came  with  surprises  also.  I  was  out  early, 
but  I  had  scarcely  completed  my  toilet  when  one  of  the 


THE  JOURNEY  ALONGSHORE.  265 

four  gentlemen  in  the  room  forward  of  mine  appeared 
and  said  : 

**  Will  you  make  to  me  the  favor  of  to  permit  me  my- 
self to  wash  in  your  room  ?  The  wash-bowl  there  in 
ours  is  broken." 

I  said,  "  With  pleasure."  He  washed.  Another  and 
another  one  followed  him.  None  of  us  thought  about 
the  slop  pail  under  the  bowl,  and  when  it  had  been  filled 
the  slops  ran  over  and  flooded  the  floor,  whereat  my  sea- 
sick room-mate  groaned  in  anguish  and  swore  feebly  in 
French. 

In  the  after  state-room  opposite  mine  was  quartered 
an  Argentine  lieutenant  bound  to  Ushuaia  to  take  com- 
mand of  a  small  Government  steamer.  While  the  rest  of 
us  considered  the  slops  we  heard  him  calling  for  the 
steward,  who  had  not  yet  appeared,  and  we  asked  him  if 
we  could  be  of  assistance.  He  said  we  could.  His 
door  was  shut  and  he  could  not  open  it.  Would  one  of 
us  open  it  for  him  ?  A  glance  at  it  showed  us  we  could 
not.     There  was  no  knob  to  the  lock. 

My  next  door  neighbor  turned  to  look  at  his  door, 
which  had  been  open  all  night.  It  had  no  knob  to  the 
lock.  Neither  had  the  door  to  the  state-room  occupied 
by  the  French  family.  My  door  only  of  the  four  had  a 
knob,  but  that  was  found  to  be  removable.  Thereafter, 
when  a  door  was  shut  purposely  or  by  the  roll  of  the 
ship,  the  one  imprisoned  within  would  bang  the  panel 
with  his  knuckles  and  say  : 

"  Senor,  that  you  may  wish  to  make  me  the  favor  to 
bring  the  door  knob."  Whereat  every  man  present 
would  skurry  about  to  find  the  precious  article,  because 
each  was  sure  to  want  such  a  favor  done  for  him,  sooner 
gr  later.     We  had  a  carpenter  on  board,  too. 


266         THE    GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORN. 

After  washing  ourselves  a  few  of  us  gathered  on  deck 
near  the  head  of  the  companionway  to  get  a  breath  of 
fresh  air  before  coffee  was  served.  Among  the  rest  was 
the  French  merchant,  who  was  the  best  groomed  man  of 
the  lot.  We  were  inclined  to  be  cheerful  as  we  watched 
the  tumble  of  waters,  and  hailed  with  delight  the  advent 
of  the  steward  when  he  first  appeared.  When  he  got 
closer  to  us  we  were  not  so  much  delighted.  He  was 
carrying  an  open  sugar-bowl  and  a  platter  of  tiny  sweet 
biscuit — the  certain  signs  of  coming  coffee.  But  before 
reaching  the  companionway  he  had  to  pass  a  big  chicken 
coop  that  occupied  the  centre  of  the  quarter-deck,  and, 
as  he  explained  afterward,  he  never  did  like  chickens. 
He  had  been  seasick  all  night,  and  the  sight  and  smell 
of  that  coop  were  too  much  for  his  stomach.  Rushing 
to  the  rail  he  leaned  far  over,  and,  regardless  of  sugar- 
bowl  and  biscuit,  paid  a  flowing  tribute  to  Neptune. 

At  that  the  dapper  Frenchman  grew  white,  exclaimed 
"  Oh,  my  God  !  "  and,  clasping  his  hands  to  his  stomach, 
fled  to  the  opposite  rail. 

However,  the  sea  grew  calm  next  day,  and  the  warm 
sun  came  down  on  a  sea  rippled  by  a  gentle  breeze. 
Everybody  came  on  deck  then,  perfectly  willing  and 
even  anxious  to  be  contented.  But  not  all  could  suc- 
ceed. There  were  some  who  did  not  think  any  better 
of  chickens  than  the  steward  did. 

The  chicken  coop,  which  stood  on  the  quarter-deck, 
contained  over  thirty  chickens,  and  it  was  provided 
with  a  slat  bottom.  People  who  object  to  having  chick- 
ens roaming  about  over  the  lawn  of  a  farmhouse  will 
sympathize  with  the  passengers  on  the  Ushuaia  who  did 
not  like  to  have  a  chicken  coop  in  the  centre  of  the 
quarter-deck.     The  roll  of  the  ship  was  slight,  but  it 


THE  JOURNEY  ALONGSHORE.  267 

swashed  the  refuse  of  that  coop  clear  across  the  deck. 
Some  of  the  passengers  said  such  a  condition  was  never 
before  seen  on  the  quarter-deck  of  a  naval  ship.  How- 
ever, we  all  knew  that  it  would  not  do  to  brood  over 
sorrows,  and  the  livelier  ones  began  to  seek  to  amuse 
the  rest.  The  Frenchman  knew  a  dice  game  different 
from  any  the  rest  had  ever  heard  of,  but  unfortunately 
had  lost  his  dice.  A  German  doctor  bound  to  a  Tierra 
del  Fuego  gold  camp  supplied  the  lack  by  whittling  a  set 
from  a  piece  of  Yankee  pine. 

Count  Richard  of  Roedorn,  Germany,  a  young  man 
travelling  for  pleasure,  and  bound  for  the  same  camp, 
had  several  decks  of  cards,  and  had  learned  the  Yankee 
game  of  poker.  Several  others  knew  enough  of  the 
game  to  make  it  interesting  for  a  couple  who  knew  it 
better  yet.  The  rank  of  the  Count,  by  the  way,  did  not 
in  any  way  interfere  with  his  being  a  right  good  travel- 
ling companion.  He  was  well  educated,  a  traveller  of 
experience,  and  he  had  a  most  cheerful  disposition.  So 
far  as  I  observed,  not  even  a  finical  critic  could  have 
found  more  than  one  habit  about  him  to  censure,  though 
that,  to  be  sure,  Avould  have  excited  the  severest  remarks 
among  the  knowing  peoj^le  of  New  York,  Count  though 
he  was,  he  wore  made-up  ties. 

However,  to  continue  the  story,  Herr  Ansorge,  a 
miner,  let  us  know  that  he  was  a  member  of  a  German 
singing  club  in  Buenos  Ayres,  and  two  minutes  later 
"  Ta-ra-ra-boom-de-ay  "  was  sung  in  four  languages  at 
once — Spanish,  French,  German,  and  English.  A  half 
dozen  other  songs  followed  in  a  way  that  demonstrated 
that  if  we  were  not  trained  musicians  we  formed  a  cos- 
mopolitan crowd  that  could  enjoy  life  under  adverse 
circumstances  off  Patagonia. 


268         THE   GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORN. 

Speaking  of  card  playing  reminds  me  that  we  saw- 
much  of  it  on  that  steamer,  especially  on  the  way  home, 
but  poker  was  not  the  game.  They  used  the  Spanish 
cards  in  which  swords  and  cups  take  the  place  of  spades 
and  diamonds,  and  the  game  was  like  that  known  in  the 
States  as  Banker  in  which  the  king  was  high.  The  low- 
est bet  on  this  game  was  a  dollar  currency,  and,  of 
course,  money  changed  hands  rapidly,  but  the  greatest 
win  of  any  night's  play  was  $150. 

The  prevailing  -winds  of  that  region  in  April  are  found 
between  west  and  south.  The  Ushuaia  bunted  and 
bobbed  her  way  through  a  head  sea  for  five  days  before 
the  high  alluvial  cliffs  that  mark  the  entrance  to  New 
Gulf  loomed  through  the  chilled  mist  of  a  storming 
morning.  Then  the  wind  shifted  and  came  on  in  scur- 
rying squalls.  We  had  theretofore  travelled  on  with  the 
utmost  care  for  the  safety  of  everything  about  the  ship, 
but  now  the  captain  made  sail  to  help  the  steam,  until 
the  masts  groaned  under  the  strain.  She  was  a  slow  tub 
— good  for  eight  or  eight  and  a  half  knots  in  smooth 
water,  but  under  the  press  of  canvas  she  drove  across 
New  Gulf  at  more  than  ten.  The  passengers  looked  on 
in  delight  and  wonder.  Soon  after  noon  we  rounded  to 
before  a  landscape  that  was  made  up  of  low,  white  alluvial 
cliffs,  alternating  with  sloping  brown  stretches  of  sage 
brush  and  sand,  behind  which  rose  a  range  of  hills  to 
complete  a  picture  for  all  the  world  like  those  to  be  seen 
in  the  deserts  of  southeastern  California.  Then,  even 
before  the  sails  were  furled,  the  captain  ordered  a  boat 
lowered  into  the  water,  and  he  was  hastily  rowed  to  the 
shore. 

Later  I  got  ashore  myself.  The  captain  met  me  at  the 
landing.     Would  I  like  to  meet  the  agent  of  the  little 


THE  JOURNEY  ALONGSHORE.  269 

railroad  running  down  to  Chubut  ?  I  would.  He  was 
a  Welshman,  who,  of  course,  talked  English,  and  had 
lived  in  the  country  twelve  years.  We  walked  over  the 
desert  sand  to  a  long  shanty  of  vertical  boards  roofed 
with  galvanized  iron.  The  captain  walked  in  through 
an  open  door  as  one  who  felt  at  home  might  do.  The 
room  was  a  marvel  of  neatness,  considering  the  surround- 
ings, and  there  was  a  piano  in  the  corner.  While  the 
captain  enjoyed  my  admiring  glance,  a  door  to  an  ad- 
joining room  opened,  and  a  most  attractive  girl  of 
perhaps  seventeen  came  in. 

"  Is  this  the  agent  of  the  railroad  ? "  I  asked,  when  we 
had  been  introduced. 

*'  No,  she  is  the  telegraph  operator,"  replied  the  cap- 
tain ;  but  she  will  tell  you  anything  about  the  country 
you  may  wish  to  learn  for  the  benefit  of  the  North 
Americans." 

"  Will  you  do  that  ?  "  said  I  to  her. 

**  I  shall  be  glad  to,  unless  you  would  rather  talk  with 
father,"  she  replied,  turning  her  big  blue  eyes  on  me  in 
a  way  that  showed  she  knew  very  well  no  man  would 
want  to  see,  or  hear,  or  think  of  anybody  else  while  she 
was  around. 

Three  or  four  days  later  the  Ushuaia  was  steaming 
slowly  down  the  coast,  bound  for  the  ancient  resort  of 
pirates  called  Port  Desire.  It  was  a  dreamy,  Indian 
summer  day,  and  the  passengers  were  idling  about  when 
a  servant  asked  me  to  go  to  the  captain's  quarters.  I 
found  him  picking  a  guitar,  but  he  put  it  away  as  I  en- 
tered, and  took  a  slip  cut  from  a  newspaper  out  of  his 
pocket  and  handed  it  to  me.  Would  I  be  so  kind  as  to 
translate  the  little  poem  printed  on  the  slip  from  Eng- 
lish into  Spanish  ?     I  would  try.     It  was  the  story  of  a 


2^0         THE   GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORN: 

girl  who  stood  on  a  pier  weeping  for  a  sailor  Avhom  the 
sharks  had  eaten  in  a  far-away  port,  and  it  had  a 
refrain  : 

"  And  the  waves  sigh  low 
As  they  ebb  and  flow, 
For  they  know  that  the  sea  is  fraught  with  woe." 

"  She  gave  it  to  me,"  said  the  captain.  "  It  must  be 
very  beautiful,"  and  he  nodded  his  head  to  the  point  of 
the  compass  that  was  in  a  line  to  the  anchorage  we  had 
left  in  New  Gulf.  "  We  will  be  back  in  thirty  days," 
continued  the  captain,  "  and  then  I  will  ask  her 
father." 

It  took  us  more  than  six  weeks  to  get  back.  Then  the 
captain  once  more  hastened  ashore.  I  watched  him 
through  a  glass  as  he  entered  the  door,  but  no  one  met 
him  there.  I  do  not  know  why  this  was  so,  but  I  guessed 
that  this  handsome  little  telegraph  operator  had  some  of 
the  characteristics  that  make  pretty  girl  operators  in  the 
States  so  tantalizingly  charming.  I  guess  she  was  a 
coquette  who  thought  a  naval  ship  captain  legitimate 
prey. 

At  Port  Desire  the  view  of  the  settlement  is  disap- 
pointing. One  hears  in  advance  that  sixty  people  live 
there.  As  the  ship  enters  port  one  sees  a  long  gray  cor- 
rugated iron  house  that  is  two  stories  high  in  the  middle, 
one  story  high  at  each  end,  and  apparently  one  room 
deep.  It  stands  on  a  little  plateau  on  the  left  (south) 
just  at  the  entrance  of  the  harbor.  Tower  Rock,  a  Y- 
shaped  natural  column,  rises  a  few  hundred  steps  away 
behind  it,  and  a  tall-flagstaff,  braced  almost  as  well  as  a 
ship's  mast,  stands  in  front.  Both  tower  and  staff  serve 
the  mariner  as  landmarks  in  entering  port.     Then  three 


THE  JO URNE  Y  AL ONG SHORE.  2 / 1 

leagues  away  to  the  south  of  this  building  is  seen 
another.  It  is  of  the  sort  found  in  American  mine 
camps — a  wood  and  iron  structure.  Next,  the  old  ruins 
under  the  precipice  at  the  north  shore  come  into  view, 
and  among  them  are  seen  two  more  iron  roofs,  the 
bodies  of  the  houses  being  very  well  concealed  by  the 
old  stone  walls.  Last  of  all,  one  sees  close  down  to  the 
water  on  the  south  side,  and  not  far  from  the  first  house 
noticed,  another  iron  structure  that  is  low,  but  wide  and 
long,  and  has  a  pile  of  very  crooked  firewood  on  the 
beach  before  it.  And  that  is  all  one  sees  of  the  settle- 
ment of  Port  Desire. 

This  settlement  cannot  be  said  to  be  growing.  Desire 
River  furnishes  excellent  pasturage.  Vegetables  in 
abundance  can  be  grown,  and  even  grain,  to  a  fair 
extent,  with  a  little  irrigation,  while  the  range  for  sheep 
is  said  to  be  much  better  than  in  many  parts  of  the  ter- 
ritory down  near  the  strait ;  but  people  will  not  come 
here  because  it  is  so  far  from  any  base  of  supplies  which 
they  can  visit  on  horseback.  The  calls  the  Argentine 
naval  transports  make  are  irregular.  There  was  one 
stretch  of  nine  months  in  the  last  two  years  when  no 
steamer  visited  the  port.  Of  course,  nobody  went  hun- 
gry or  suffered  for  lack  of  absolute  necessaries  during 
that  time,  because  the  cattle,  the  guanacos,  the  panthers, 
and  the  ostriches  supplied  all  things  needful.  With 
plenty  of  meat,  a  little  salt,  and  the  guanaco  fur  robes, 
the  frontier  ranchman  of  the  Argentina  does  very  well — 
so  well  that  he  will  not  take  the  trouble  to  raise  even  his 
favorite  vegetable,  the  squash.  But  what  worries  him, 
when  the  steamer  fails  to  come,  is  the  inevitable  famine 
of  mate,  the  wild  tea  of  Paraguay.  The  consumption  of 
this  herb  is  a  remarkable  feature  of  Argentine  life,  north 


2/2         THE   GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORN. 

and  south,  but  in  Patagonia  there  is  no  citizen  but  would 
take  mate  rather  than  a  good  dinner  if  he  had  to  choose 
between  the  two.  Then,  too,  wine  and  the  native  rum 
become  exhausted,  and  so  does  tobacco.  The  traveller 
who  looks  at  the  settlement  dispassionately  will  say  that 
so  long  as  famines  of  drinks  and  tobacco  impend,  there 
is  no  great  hope  for  its  future. 

For  the  last  three  or  four  years  the  post  of  sub-prefect 
at  Port  Desire  has  been  filled  by  Don  Juan  Wilson.  Don 
Juan  when  a  boy  was  known  as  Johnnie  Wilson  at  Alex- 
andria, Va.,  but  his  people  emigrated  to  the  Argentine, 
and  the  lad  entered  the  naval  school,  where  he  was  gradu- 
ated with  honor.  Something  of  his  subsequent  career  is 
worth  telling  to  illustrate  the  Argentine  way  of  doing 
things.  Lieutenant  Wilson  has  been  in  all  the  wars  but 
one  of  the  Argentine  for  a  quarter  of  a  century.  Pie 
has  a  dozen  medals  which  were  given  to  him  for  services 
rendered,  and  he  can  show  more  scars  obtained  in  battle 
than  he  has  medals,  but  he  is  a  Lieutenant  still,  although 
men  who  entered  the  navy  after  and  below  him,  rank  as 
Commodores  and  Admirals.  That  looks  as  if  he  had 
been  treated  very  unfairly,  but  the  truth  is  he  can  thank 
his  lucky  stars,  as  he  says,  that  he  is  no  worse  off.  He 
has  been  in  every  revolution  against  the  Government  but 
one,  and  every  time  but  once  has  been  of  the  losing 
party.  He  might  have  been  shot  lawfully  several  times, 
but  because  he  was  a  conspicuously  good  fighter,  and 
therefore  sure  to  be  very  useful  in  case  of  a  war  with  a 
foreign  nation,  his  life  has  not  only  been  spared,  but  he 
has  been  retained  in  the  service.  But  because  he  was 
always  ripe  for  a  revolt  they  sent  him  down  to  Patagonia. 
He  could  not  revolt  there  or  help  anybody  revolting  in 
Buenos  Ayres,  and  in  case  he  were  needed  to  fight  Chili 


THE  JOURNEY  ALONGSHORE.  273 

or  Brazil  he  could  be  had  very  quickly.  The  reason  he 
failed  to  take  part  in  one  revolution — the  last — was  that 
he  was  in  Patagonia  while  the  revolt  was  in  the  capital. 
When  talking  to  me  about  it  he  seemed  to  be  very  sorry 
that  he  had  not  been  able  to  join  his  comrades,  and  that, 
too,  though  every  one  of  them  was  in  prison  under  sen- 
tences of  from  twenty  years  up. 

Of  the  life  naval  officers  in  Patagonia  lead  I  had 
a  glimpse  at  Port  Desire,  where  I  had  dinner  and  re- 
mained over  night  with  Lieutenant  Wilson.  The  bar- 
racks were  found  to  be  comfortable  and  even  cheerful 
within,  though  as  bleak  as  the  desert  without.  At  the 
table  the  Lieutenant  sat  at  the  head,  with  a  junior  officer 
and  his  wife  on  the  right,  and  the  Lieutenant's  son,  a 
bright  lad  of  seventeen,  on  the  left.  Two  boys  waited 
on  the  table  with  a  military  precision  of  motion  that  was 
very  funny  to  a  non-military  spectator.  We  had  excel- 
lent fare — Italian  soup,  fish  from  the  river,  roast  beef,  and 
two  vegetables,  with  bread  and  coffee  and  cigarettes  after. 

One  of  the  waiters  had  a  history.  He  was  a  full- 
blooded  Tehuelche  Indian.  The  Lieutenant,  while  lead- 
ing a  squad  of  sailors  up  the  Rio  Negro  in  General 
Roca's  war  of  extermination,  heard  a  curious  cry  in  the 
thick  boughs  of  a  tree.  A  sailor  climbed  up,  expecting 
to  find  some  strange  beast  or  bird,  but  brought  back  a 
boy  baby  not  over  two  years  of  age.  He  had  been  hid- 
den there  in  a  three-prong  fork  by  his  mother  as  the 
Indians  fled  because  she  was  too  much  exhausted  to 
carry  him  further.  No  doubt  many  Indians  did  the 
same,  but  all  the  babies  starved  save  this  one  because 
the  sailors  held  the  territory.  When  old  enough  to  serve 
as  an  apprentice,  the  lad  was  shipped  in  the  navy  with 
his  adopted  father,  Mr.  Wilson. 


274         THE   GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORN. 

Certainly  no  other  sergeant  in  the  world  has  had  such 
a  history  as  this  one. 

When  we  reached  Port  Desire  we  all  went  ashore  to 
inspect  the  old  ruins  of  a  Spanish  fort,  and  then  a  desert 
cattle  man  invited  us  all  to  dine  with  him. 

We  found  the  home  of  our  host  standing  among  the 
old  ruins.  The  contrast  between  the  ancient  Spanish 
and  the  modern  Argentine  architecture  was  very  great. 
The  old  walls  were  of  thick  masonry  carried  up  as  high 
as  a  man  could  reach,  and  above  these  there  had  been 
wooden  roofs  thatched  with  grass.  The  modern  struc- 
ture, built  by  the  Argentine  Government  to  induce  set- 
tlers to  come,  consisted  of  a  light  wooden  frame  entirely 
covered  in  with  corrugated  iron.  One  sees  just  such 
houses  in  the  mine  camps  of  the  United  States,  where 
they  are  popular  because  cheaply  and  quickly  built. 
But  not  till  one  has  been  in  such  a  house  built  where  the 
wind  blows  as  it  does  on  the  Patagonia  desert,  can  he 
fully  appreciate  its  capabilities  as  a  musical  instrument. 
When  we  came  to  sit  down  to  the  long,  bench-like  table 
for  dinner,  after  a  walk  over  the  hills  that  had  sharpened 
our  appetites,  we  paused  to  listen  as  if  to  the  notes  of  a 
great  organ  played  by  the  hands  of  a  mad  musician. 
Probably  the  corrugations  of  the  iron,  the  sharp  edges 
of  the  plates,  the  lengths  of  plates  projecting  unsup- 
ported beyond  slender  beams,  and  the  differing  degrees 
of  rigidness  with  which  the  plates  were  secured  to  the 
beams,  combined  to  vary  the  vibrations  of  the  plates 
under  the  impulse  of  the  whirling  wind  squalls. 

There  were  soft  and  smooth  murmurs,  hoarse  boom- 
ings,  fair  altos,  and  singing  sopranos,  alternately  and 
combined  in  a  way  to  interest  and  distract  every  unac- 
customed listener. 


THE  JOURNEY  ALONGSHORE.  275 

The  dinner  was,  in  itself,  a  most  interesting  novelty. 
We  had  beef  roasted  in  a  fashion  which  the  natives  call 
"  meat  with  skin."  The  ribs  of  a  steer  had  been  wrapped 
in  the  skin  of  the  animal,  and  then  impaled  on  a  long 
iron  rod,  which  was  thrust  into  the  ground  so  that  the 
wrapped-up  meat  leaned  directly  above  a  small  open  fire. 
Here  it  had  remained  for  about  three  hours,  while  a 
patient  native  fed  the  flames  with  brush,  and  occasion- 
ally turned  the  bundle  of  meat.  It  was  then  removed, 
the  skin  was  stripped  off,  and  it  was  brought,  dripping 
with  hot  juice,  in  a  big  pan  to  the  table,  where  the  hun- 
gry passengers  awaited  it,  knives  in  hand. 

The  knives  were  of  a  class  novel  to  an  American,  and, 
in  fact,  so  was  everything  about  the  table.  Each  knife 
blade  was  a  triangle,  an  inch  broad  at  the  handle,  and 
tapered  to  an  acute  point,  four  and  a  half  inches  away. 
This  was  a  good  shape  for  the  usual  purpose  for  which 
it  was  designed — the  skinning  of  animals,  but  it  was  not 
a  good  table  knife.  Even  at  that  the  ranchman  had 
not  enough  to  go  round,  and  three  of  us  had  to  use 
the  knives  we  had  carried,  in  anticipation  of  such  a 
lack.  Shallow  tins  served  as  plates.  And  yet,  in  spite 
of  so  great  poverty  in  table  furniture,  we  had  an 
abundance  of  very  good  claret,  served  in  glasses  of  a 
proper  shape. 

The  food,  too,  was  as  surprisingly  good  as  the  wine. 
No  better  roast  was  ever  carved  than  that,  and  it  was 
flanked  with  baked  armadillos,  the  most  toothsome  morsel 
I  had  ever  seen.  Both  kinds  of  meat  were  seasoned 
with  salt  and  pepper  only.  With  these  we  had  hard  bis- 
cuit of  the  Buenos  Ayres  sort — an  oblong,  globular  little 
loaf,  say  two  by  three  inches  large  in  its  longest  and 
shortest  diameters.     The  absence  of  garlic  and  Italian 


2'j6         THE   GOLD  DIGGINGS   OF  CAPE  HORN. 

sauces  completed  our  pleasure,  and  black  coffee,  served 
in  tin  cups,  ended  the  meal. 

The  next  port  at  which  we  called  was  Santa  Cruz. 
The  great  profits  made  by  the  sheep  owners  who  brought 
their  stock  from  the  Falklands  to  the  Strait  of  Magellan, 
induced  many  of  the  young  men  of  the  Falklands  to 
come  over  and  try  their  luck  in  Patagonia.  The  Argen- 
tine Government  encouraged  them  by  giving  ten-year 
leases  on  pasture  land  at  the  rate  of  $60  national  money 
per  year  per  league,  and  at  the  average  one  league  would 
hold  1200  sheep.  The  traveller  will  hear  all  about  the 
increase  in  the  flocks  on  the  Santa  Cruz  River  before  he 
gets  there,  and  the  stories  of  the  wool  shipments  will 
prepare  him  to  see  a  small  but  bustling  community  when 
he  arrives.  I  really  expected  to  see  a  large  as  well  as  a 
bustling  place. 

When  the  steamer  had  anchored  in  the  stream  about 
ten  miles  above  the  mouth  there  were  seen  in  the  distance 
at  the  south  bank,  under  what  is  known  as  Weddell's 
Bluff,  several  new  frame  shanties  which  the  ship's  officers 
called  the  presidio.  I  went  up  there  in  a  boat,  and 
found  enough  of  the  little  shanties  to  house  at  least 
3000  soldiers,  while  an  old  hulk  moored  at  the  beach 
would  have  accommodated  200  sailors  easily  enough. 
There  were  a  dozen  sailors  with  two  officers  on  board 
the  hulk  as  shipkeepers,  while  the  barracks  were  in 
charge  of  two  officers  and  a  score  of  soldiers,  some  of 
whom  were  keeping  house  with  their  families.  The 
building  of  these  barracks  in  that  locality  could  have 
but  one  signification  :  The  Argentine  Government  ex- 
pects trouble,  sooner  or  later,  with  Chili,  and  this  is  to 
be  a  base  for  operations  against  the  Strait  of  Magellan 
possessions  of  the  Western  republic. 


;  s'^SJ  .  f  j 


THE  JOURNEY  ALONGSHORE.  277 

The  buildings  were  not  all  completed,  and  some  of  the 
soldiers  were  at  work  as  carpenters  and  painters.  This 
show  of  business  activity  only  added  to  my  mental  pic- 
ture of  the  town  itself,  and  it  was  with  considerable 
pleasure  that  I  returned  down  stream  to  land  near  the 
ship,  and  make  my  first  visit  there. 

Climbing  to  the  low  table  land  that  borders  the  stream, 
I  looked  back  into  a  wedge-shaped  valley  between  the 
hills,  the  Valley  of  the  Missionaries,  and  saw  Santa  Cruz 
— in  all  nine  buildings,  of  which  two  were  unoccupied, 
and  not  a  human  being  in  sight  anywhere,  nor  any  other 
evidences  of  life  than  a  small  flock  of  sheep  and  a  thin 
red  mare  grazing  idly.  The  buildings  stood  on  three 
sides  of  a  surveyed  plaza — that  is,  there  was  one  house 
on  each  of  two  sides,  one  stood  back  up  the  valley  a  few 
hundred  yards,  and  the  rest  were  on  a  third  side  of  the 
plaza.  Among  them  was  the  inevitable  long  low  iron 
structure  built  for  the  home  and  office  of  the  Sub-Prefect. 
There  was  also  a  one-story  adobe-walled  house  that  was 
a  combined  hotel  and  general  store,  having  four  rooms, 
while  another  was  a  pink  wooden  building,  one  story  and 
a  quarter  high,  having  five  rooms  that  served  the  same 
useful  purpose. 

Among  the  buildings  was  an  old  adobe-walled  struc- 
ture, about  ten  by  twenty  feet  large,  with  two  places  for 
doors,  and  the  remains  of  a  couple  of  glazed  windows. 
The  earth  served  as  a  floor,  and  the  usual  iron  for  a  roof. 
In  one  corner  was  a  depression  that  looked  like  a  dry 
hog  wallow,  and  a  porker  grunted  about  outside  the 
building.  They  said  this  had  been  the  church  that  mis- 
sionaries preached  in  long  ago. 

In  the  pink  hotel  I  found  a  well-dressed  young  man 
who  was  glad  to  see  all  strangers,  and  particularly  one 


2/8         THE    GOLD   DIGGINGS  OF   CAPE  HORN. 

who  wrote  for  a  newspaper.  He  accepted  an  invitation 
to  take  a  cup  of  coffee,  and  when  I  asked  him  if  he  was 
acquainted  with  the  region  he  said  he  had  been  just  at 
the  point  of  asking  me  if  I  would  be  interested  in  hear- 
ing something  about  it.  Then  the  coffee  came,  and  with 
it  a  Dutchess  County,  N.  Y.,  brand  of  condensed  milk, 
and  a  blue-print  map.  We  combined  the  milk  and  cof- 
fee, and  then  spread  out  the  map  and  weighted  the 
corners  with  our  cups,  the  coffee  pot,  and  the  milk  can. 
Being  thus  ready  for  business,  the  young  man  pointed 
at  the  map.  It  was  the  plan  of  a  great  city — a  city  with 
plazas  connected  by  wide  avenues  and  boulevards,  with 
streets  running  at  right  angles  between.  Figures  and 
letters  scattered  here  and  there  on  it  showed  sites  for 
Government  and  other  important  buildings,  while  long 
broken  lines  showed  the  location  of  many  street  railways. 
The  young  man  explained  the  peculiarities  and  advan- 
tages of  the  disposition  of  plazas  and  boulevards  and 
street  car  lines,  and  eventually,  from  the  lay  of  the  land, 
I  grasped  the  situation.  This  was  the  plan  of  the  city  of 
Santa  Cruz,  the  great  Patagonian  metropolis  that  was  to 
grow  up  right  there  in  the  valley,  where  now  one  could 
see  nine  houses  all  told,  of  which  two  were  unoccupied. 
It  would  grow  just  as  surely  as  the  sun  would  set  behind 
Weddell  Bluff,  to  quote  the  words  of  the  young  man  ; 
and  then  he  went  on,  in  a  way  to  make  even  a  Kansas 
town-site  boomer  rub  his  eyes,  to  tell  of  the  shipments  of 
wool  "  aggregating  2,000,000  pounds  last  year,"  of  the 
good  pasture  to  be  had  "  at  ^3  per  square  league  an- 
nual rental,"  of  the  "  traces  of  gold  found  on  Lake 
Argentine,  where  good  mineral  developments  will  be 
made,"  of  the  "experiments  in  wheat  culture  to  be 
made,  which  will  doubtless  succeed,"     AH  of  this  was 


THE  JOURNEY  ALONGSHORE.  2/9 

said  to  show  that  I  had  arrived  at  just  the  right  time  to 
get  in  on  the  ground  floor  of  a  great  real  estate  deal.  I 
did  not  need  to  buy  the  lots.  I  could  have  all  I  would 
build  on  free  of  cost,  save  for  the  usual  charges  of  mak- 
ing out  and  recording  the  papers. 

I  have  frequently  heard  men  who  had  done  business 
with  Spanish- American  nations  talk  despairingly  of  the'"' 
lack  of  enterprise  to  be  found  there.  They  speak  of  the 
depreciated  currency  there  as  "adobe  money,"  and  call 
the  nations  "  the  land  of  poco  tieinpo  "  and  "  the  maiiana 
country."  As  to  many  of  these  nations  the  terms  are 
well  applied,  but  the  Argentine  must  be  excei:>ted. 
Neither  in  the  suburbs  of  Brooklyn,  nor  on  the  plains  of 
Oklahoma,  nor  among  the  orange  groves  of  California 
have  I  seen  a  boomer  who  could  tell  his  story  in  better 
form  than  the  young  man  with  a  blue-print  map  of  the 
future  metropolis  of  Patagonia. 

It  is  perhaps  worth  noting  here  that  while  the  young 
man  was  talking  I  could  see  an  ordinance  on  the  wall 
above  his  head  that  prohibited  the  killing  of  either 
ostriches  or  guanacos  "within  the  city  limits,"  even  with 
bolas,  while  the  shooting  of  such  game  was  prohibited  in 
all  the  districts  south  of  the  river. 

And  yet  I  am  not  sure  but  a  large  town  will  grow 
there  eventually,  although  Gallegos  was  made  the  capital 
town  some  time  ago.  The  place  certainly  has  some 
natural  advantages.  The  Santa  Cruz  River  is  a  wonder. 
Being  absolutely  unobstructed  throughout  its  course, 
large,  deep-draught  river  steamers  could  run  easily  to 
the  source.  Lake  Argentine,  and  beyond.  It  is  really  like- 
ly that  gold  mines  will  be  developed  in  the  Andes  there, 
and  it  is  certain  that  a  large  lumber  business  will  be  done 
there  sooner  or  later,  for  the  forests  produce  cedars  and 


28o         THE   GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORN, 

Other  valuable  saw  timber  of  the  best  quality  and  great 
size.  There  are  no  trees  immediately  on  Lake  Argen- 
tine, but  it  is  connected  with  other  lakes  by  navigable 
channels  where  the  timber  is  found.  When  I  was  in 
Santa  Cruz  a  party  of  capitalists  familiar  with  lumber 
had  gone  up  to  the  lakes  to  look  into  the  business. 
Driving  the  logs  in  rafts  to  the  port  of  Santa  Cruz  would 
be  so  inexpensive  that  once  a  proper  mill  were  estab- 
lished there  the  great  markets  of  Buenos  Ayres  and  Rio 
Janeiro,  not  to  mention  the  smaller  ports,  would  be  sup- 
plied at  prices  to  make  serious  inroads  on  the  business 
of  those  who  now  supply  them  from  the  United  States. 

Of  the  value  of  the  sheep  and  cattle  ranches  as  a  sup- 
port for  a  town  nothing  need  be  said  to  readers  in  the 
United  States,  who  have  object  lessons  in  the  matter 
scattered  over  the  prairie  States,  but  the  Patagonia 
ranches  will  scarcely  make  as  good  a  support  for  a  town 
as  the  Yankee  ranches  do,  for  the  reason  that  the  land 
system  of  the  Argentine  promotes  "great  estates  and 
discourages  small  owners.  The  capitalist  in  Argentine 
territory  can  buy  all  the  land  he  wants.  Gov.  Mayer  of 
Santa  Cruz  territory,  for  instance,  owns  thirty  square 
leagues  of  land  along  the  Santa  Cruz  and  Chico  rivers. 
In  owning  the  water  front,  he  controls  all  the  range  back 
of  it,  for  no  one  will  take  up  land  that  has  no  water.  For 
all  practical  purposes,  he  controls  say  one  hundred  square 
leagues.  The  firm  of  Hamilton  &  Saunders  of  Gallegos, 
Scotchmen,  own  fifty-eight  leagues,  and  so  control  three 
times  as  much.  Of  course,  it  would  be  much  better  for 
the  country  if  fifty-eight  families  owned  and  lived  on  the 
land  these  two  men  have,  nevertheless  the  country  is 
filling  up  with  shepherds,  and  a  month  after  the  two 
French  merchants  mentioned  had  landed  in  Santa  Cruz 


THE  JOURNEY  ALONGSHORE.  28 1 

with  the  wholesale  stock  of  goods,  they  were  doing  a 
profitable  business  with  their  original  packages. 

There  is  but  one  drawback  to  the  value  of  the  valley 
in  which  Santa  Cruz  city  is  located  that  would  operate 
against  it  seriously,  and  that  is  the  lack  of  drinking 
water.  The  young  boomer  did  not  say  a  word  about 
water.  There  is  a  scant  supply  from  wells  even  for  the 
seven  occupied  houses  Avith  their  stock,  and  that  is 
brackish.  Of  course,  should  the  place  become  a  great 
city,  the  supply  would  be  drawn  from  the  swift  Santa 
Cruz,  but  while  the  settlement  is  growing  to  a  village  of 
a  few  thousand  people  the  cost  of  twenty  odd  miles  of 
pipe  line  would  prohibit  tapping  the  river.  The  tide 
rises  over  forty  feet  every  day  in  the  river  mouth,  so 
there  is  salt  water  a  long  way  up  stream. 

It  is  worth  noting  that  the  Santa  Cruz  people  draw 
water  from  their  wells  as  the  people  in  the  cowboy  parts 
of  the  United  States  often  do.  A  pulley  is  suspended 
over  the  well.  When  water  is  wanted  a  horse  is  saddled, 
and  one  end  of  a  lasso  fastened  to  the  saddle.  The 
other  end  of  the  lasso  is  passed  through  the  pulley  and 
made  fast  to  a  pail,  which  is  then  lowered  and  filled. 
Then  the  water  drawer  mounts  the  horse,  and  rides  away 
till  the  pail  is  up  to  the  pulley.  Next  the  rider  dis- 
mounts, walks  back  to  the  well,  takes  the  pail  from  the 
lasso  and  carries  it  to  the  house.  Last  of  all  he  un- 
saddles the  horse.  I  saw  this  done  myself.  I  must 
admit  that  this  description  of  the  Patagonian  way  of 
drawing  a  pail  of  water  reads  like  a  traveller's  untrue 
tale,  but  it  is  literally  true. 

Gallegos,  the  capital  of  Santa  Cruz  territory,  the  next 
port  visited,  stands  on  the  south  bank  of  the  Gallegos 
River,  several  miles  above  the  mouth.     The  Gallegos  ig 


282         THE   GOLD   DIGGINGS   OF  CAPE  HORN. 

a  very  interesting  stream.     Its  head  is  in  the  Cordilleras, 
of  course,  and  the  head  is  made  up  of  a  number  of  small 
streams   which   unite   in  the   foot  hills  to   make  a  river 
never  less  than  i8o  feet  wide  and  three  feet  deep  in  the 
dryest   of  seasons.     The   current   is   fair,   and  although 
there   are  three   fording   places    along    its   route,    large 
steamers  drawing   2^  feet   of   water   could   navigate  it 
to  the   forks  the  year  round.     But  that   steamers  will 
ever  be  found  there  is  a  matter  of  doubt,  although  the 
country  is  rapidly  filling  up  with  settlers.     There   are 
several  reasons  for  this.     All  branches  of  the  stream  rise 
within  a  few  miles  of  the  Pacific  Ocean,  the  south  heads 
being  almost  within  sight  of  Skyring  Water,  just  north- 
west from  Punta  Arenas,  while  between  the  north  and 
the  south  forks  there  is  a  complete  and  a  wide  break  in 
the  Andes  through  which  one   may   drive  a  wagon  as 
easily  as  one  can  drive  over  the  mesa  of  Patagonia  any- 
where.    By  cutting  a  road  five  miles  long  through  a  belt 
of  timber  a  highway  to  the  bays  of  Chili  will  be  formed, 
and  so  the  traffic  of  at  least  half  the  length  of  the  Galle- 
gos  River  will  go  to  the  west  instead  of  down  stream  to 
the  Argentine  town  of  Gallegos.     I  say  at  least  half,  but 
it  is  not  unlikely  that  more  than  half  will  go  west,  for  the 
reason  that  the  entire  population  of  the  territory  south 
of  the  Gallegos,  and  about  all  between  Rio  Gallegos  and 
Rio  Santa  Cruz  have  a  strong  feeling  of  friendship  for 
Chili. 

"  In  Chili,  if  you  have  right,  you  can  get  justice  every 
time,"  said  a  Frenchman  owning  100,000  sheep  on  the 
border  line  between  Argentine  and  Chili.  "  In  the 
Argentine  you  must  have  the  judge  for  your  friend  or 
you  will  be  beaten,  right  or  wrong." 

As  to  the  Rio  Gallegos  lands,  the  traveller  finds  lava 


THE  JOURNEY  ALONGSHORE.  283 

beds  and  pasture  lands  alternating,  but  the  pasture  has 
the  greater  area,  and  it  is  simply  perfect  pasture.  The 
low  bottom  lands  are  flooded  in  September  and  October 
when  the  Andes  snow  melts,  but  there  is  plenty  of  good 
upland  pasture.  Nearly  all  the  land  south  of  it  is  now 
taken  up  by  shepherds,  while  the  north  side  is  being 
rapidly  absorbed,  the  chief  obstacle  to  rapid  settle- 
ment being  the  lack  of  fuel.  It  is  almost  a  bushless 
region. 

On  the  whole,  the  town  of  Gallegos  has  a  very  good 
cattle  country  back  of  it.  Along  the  sea-coast  to  the 
south  it  has  some  placer  gold  mines.  The  layer  of  black 
sand  carrying  gold  crops  out  richer  in  some  places  than 
others,  and  there  are  places  where  the  lack  of  drinking 
water  makes  mining  impossible,  but  quite  a  number  of 
men — perhaps  fifty — can  be  found  working  the  beach  for 
gold  between  Gallegos  and  Cape  Virgins. 

What  the  traveller  sees  in  the  territorial  capital  now  is 
a  score  or  less  of  corrugated  iron  buildings,  with  half  a 
dozen  houses  of  wood  and  three  of  adobe.  One  of  the 
adobe-walled  houses  is  the  territorial  prison.  Any  smart 
rascal  could  burrow  out  in  an  hour.  About  one-third  of 
the  houses  are  hotels  and  stores,  the  outer  appearance  of 
these  buildings  being  like  that  of  a  Yankee  mining  camp. 
Every  store  carries  a  considerable  stock  of  liquors  and 
tobacco,  a  moderate  stock  of  hardware  and  cutlery  likely 
to  attract  ranchmen,  a  small  stock  of  wool  and  cotton 
fabrics,  and  a  few  samples  of  groceries.  The  stocks  were 
not  arranged  to  make  anything  like  an  attractive  display, 
and,  because  sand  storms  were  likely  to  come  at  any  time 
to  dust  over  the  interior  of  every  building,  nobody 
thought  it  worth  while  to  sweep  or  in  any  way  clean 
house. 


284         THE   GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE   HORN. 

As  hotels  (every  store  was  a  hotel)  the  places  were 
most  unattractive  ;  worse,  for  instance,  than  any  I  saw 
when  The  Sun  sent  me  through  the  wilds  of  southern 
Mexico.  In  Mexico  all  of  a  party  of  travellers,  men, 
women,  children,  and  servants,  would  be  lodged  in  a 
single  room,  with  nothing  but  the  tile  floor  or  a  bench  to 
sleep  on,  but  it  was  always  a  clean  floor,  while  one  could 
have  a  hammock  under  a  veranda  if  he  chose,  and  that 
was  about  the  best  kind  of  bed.  Moreover,  food  was 
always  abundant  and  good.  At  some  Gallegos  hotels  one 
could  not  be  certain  of  either  quantity  or  quality  of  the 
food,  while  the  blankets  were  neither  washed  nor  aired 
nor  changed. 

However,  there  were  exceptions  to  the  rule,  at  least  one 
exception.  Dona  Philomena,  a  rotund  and  jolly  woman 
of  middle  age,  with  her  son,  a  lad  of  about  sixteen,  kept 
a  boarding-house  in  an  adobe  hut  of  one  room,  twelve  by 
eighteen  feet.  She  had  a  stove  that  smoked  at  every 
crevice  on  one  side  of  the  door,  a  rude  table  with  benches 
at  the  other,  a  spare  bed  just  beyond,  and  beyond  this 
bed  heaps  and  piles  of  boxes  and  bags  and  bundles,  con- 
taining vegetables,  groceries,  clothing,  Indian  curios, 
saddles,  and  horse  gear  generally.  There  were  three 
kinds  of  meat  hanging  from  the  rafters.  There  was  but 
one  tiny  window,  and  that  yielded  light  enough  only  for 
the  table.  In  the  extreme  rear  of  the  room  all  was  con- 
cealed by  impenetrable  gloom.  A  Yankee  wife  would 
have  said  she  never  did  see  such  a  cluttered  up  place. 
Nevertheless,  the  mud  walls  had  been  whitewashed  until 
they  looked  like  the  dried  up  bottom  of  a  pool  in  an 
alkali  desert.  The  mud  floor  was  neatly  swept.  The 
spare  bed  had  clean  white  sheets,  and  the  blankets 
gmelled  sweet.   The  rude  table  was  covered  with  a  snowy 


THE  JO URNE  Y  AL ONGSHORE.  285 

cloth,  and  there  was  a  stainless  napkin  at  each  plate. 
Doha  Philomena  wore  a  clean  dress,  with  a  bright-colored 
shawl  over  her  shoulders.  The  picture  of  her  as  she 
worked  over  the  stove  in  a  thin  halo  of  blue  smoke,  giv- 
ing a  stir  to  the  potatoes  frying  in  the  pan  or  a  peek  at 
the  mutton  roasting  in  the  oven,  or  cutting  fresh  bread, 
or  opening  Yankee  condensed  milk,  while  she  smiled  and 
joked  and  gossiped  in  a  continuous  flow  of  words,  was 
something  that  the  traveller  would  carry  with  him  for  a 
long  time  after.  And  when  the  meal  was  over  and  we 
all  smoked  and  lingered  over  the  coffee  the  boy  got  out 
an  old  guitar  and  played  the  tunes  the  Spanish  lover  plays 
to  win  a  sweetheart — tunes  that  alternately  swelled  with 
importunate  passion  and  faded  into  murmurs  of  hopeless 
longing,  so  that  everybody  stopped  talking  to  stare  into 
space  and  think  of  somebody  else  a  long  way  off. 

The  Captain  of  the  steamer  introduced  me  to  Gov. 
Edelmiro  Mayer.  The  Governor  lived  in  a  large  frame 
one-story  building  that  had  a  glass-enclosed  veranda 
overlooking  the  river.  On  the  whole,  this  was  a  most 
remarkable  home,  considering  the  locality.  Though  like 
a  mining-camp  house,  as  the  rest  were  in  outward  appear- 
ance, there  were  within  Oriental  rugs  of  great  value  on 
the  floor  ;  a  grand  piano  of  American  make  that  cost 
$1500  in  gold  in  New  York  stood  in  one  corner  of  the 
parlor  ;  a  great  organ  such  as  professional  musicians  pre- 
fer was  in  another  ;  a  library  of  5000  volumes,  made  up 
of  standard  works  of  science  and  literature,  was  in  the 
glass-enclosed  veranda,  while  the  furniture  and  hangings 
and  bric-a-brac  were  everything  that  a  cultivated  taste 
could  ask  for.  So  was  the  sideboard,  with  its  old  Ken- 
tucky whiskey.  Having  very  little  governing  to  do,  the 
Governor  devoted  himself  to  literature  and  music,  occu- 


286         THE    GOLD  DIGGIXGS   OF   CAPE  HOR.V. 

pations  in  which  he  was  ably  assisted  by  his  wife,  a 
charming  Argentina. 

Gov.  Mayer's  name  is  not  unknown  to  American  history. 
Just  for  the  love  of  adventure  and  free  republican  insti- 
tutions he  came  to  the  United  States  to  help  during  the 
war  of  the  rebellion.  He  commanded  a  negro  regiment 
with  conspicuous  success.  Afterward,  while  down  on  the 
Rio  Grande,  he  crossed  over  to  help  patriotic  Mexicans 
overthrow  Maximilian. 

Although  small  in  the  number  of  its  houses  and  its 
people,  Gallegos  is  in  full  plumage  as  a  territorial  capital. 
A  two-story  frame  building  was  in  course  of  construction 
that  will  eventually  be  the  White  House  of  Santa  Cruz 
territory.  Besides  the  Governor,  there  was  the  usual 
list  of  other  officials  necessary  for  the  dignity  of  such  a 
place.  As  at  Ushuaia,  already  described,  no  official  had 
anything  to  do  worth  mention.  Indeed,  the  Captain  of 
Police,  who  in  a  United  States  territorial  capital  would 
need  to  be  a  man  of  nerve  and  muscle,  was  here  a  cripple 
who  could  neither  sit  on  a  horse  nor  walk  unaided  the 
length  of  the  town's  one  street.  Still,  courts  were  held 
sometimes  to  decide  conflicting  claims  of  shepherds,  and 
a  gaucho  who  had  slashed  a  comrade  in  a  drunken  brawl 
was  arrested  just  before  I  arrived.  Gallegos  will  be  a 
favored  stopping  place  for  criminals  when  the  country 
gets  filled  up,  I  guess,  for  it  is  very  handy  to  the  Chili 
line,  and  extradition  treaties  between  two  such  countries 
as  Chili  and  Argentine  are  of  little  value. 

A  peculiarity  of  the  climate  is  the  southwest  wind  of 
summer.  It  begins  at  8  in  the  morning  and  increases  in 
violence  until  after  noon,  when  it  occasionally  blows 
hard  enough  to  lift  a  man  from  the  saddle.  At  3  in  the 
afternoon  it  moderates,  and  at  6  o'clock  and  thence  on 


THE  JOURNEY  ALOXGSHORE.  2%J 

through  the  night  there  is  usually  a  calm.  This  wind 
blows  every  day  in  spring  and  summer,  and  on  many 
days  it  brings  hail  and  sleet  that  no  man  can  face.  The 
winter  season,  though  colder,  is  by  far  the  most  pleasant 
of  the  year.  But  in  spite  of  wind  and  cold,  Patagonia  is 
pre-eminently  a  healthful  region  now.  Every  human 
being  that  I  savr  there  carried  the  glow  of  health  in  his 
face  and  the  spring  of  youth  in  his  muscles.  But  there 
are  zymotic  diseases  just  as  there  are  in  Yankee  villages, 
because  of  the  juxtaposition  of  wells  and  cesspools,  and 
these  diseases  will  prevail  wherever  settlements  are  made, 
because  of  the  utter  indifference  of  Spanish-Americans 
to  the  rules  of  hygiene  as  applied  in  such  matters. 

To  sum  it  all  up,  the  settlements  on  the  coast  of  Pata- 
gonia are  small,  the  buildings  are  of  the  temporary  or 
mine-camp  class,  and  life  in  them  is  decidedly  tranquil. 
The  towns  are  new,  and  the  bad  name  the  country  has 
borne  in  the  matter  of  climate  and  sterility  has  kept  for- 
eigners away.  "  There  has  been  no  boom — just  a  slow, 
healthy  growth,"  as  the  Kansas  boomers'  paper  would 
put  it,  and  in  this  case  the  statement  is  true.  Santa  Cruz 
territory  now  has  800,000  sheep.  Its  Governor  expects 
to  see  10,000,000  there  in  ten  years  more,  besides  some 
millions  of  horses  and  cattle.  Settlements  will  very 
likely  spring  up  in  the  interior,  and  the  vast  region  over 
which  theTehuelche  Indians  held  undisputed  sway  dur- 
ing the  350  years  after  the  land  was  discovered  by  white 
men  will  become  a  peaceful,  thinly  populated  pastoral 
land,  w^hose  people  will  grow  comfortably  rich  supply- 
ing Europe  and  the  United  States  with  wool,  hides, 
and  tallow.  But  there  are  no  indications  worth  men- 
tioning that,  as  a  whole,  it  will  ever  be  anything  else 
than  this,  and  at  present  it  is  of  interest  to  the  Yankee 


288        THE   GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORN. 

nation  chiefly  as  a  region  out  of  the  way  for  tourists  to 
visit. 

After  leaving  Port  Desire  we  had  a  variation  in  our 
meals  on  board  ship.  The  sailors  had  gone  fishing  with 
a  net,  and  with  success.  There  were  two  kinds, — one 
rather  like  a  Yankee  smelt,  only  more  slender,  and  the 
other  somewhat  like  a  Lake  Erie  pickerel.  Both  were 
excellent,  but  the  little  fellow  boiled  and  made  into  a 
salad  was  j^articularly  fine. 

Then,  too,  a  species  of  ducks  had  become  very  abun- 
dant. They  were  so  dark  above  as  to  appear  black, 
while  the  under  parts  were  pure  white.  Their  curiosity 
led  them  to  hover  about  the  ship  in  twos  and  threes, 
sometimes  flying  along,  say  fifty  feet  above  the  weather 
rail.  On  such  occasions  Captain  Chwaites  brought  out 
a  light  shotgun.  On  the  day  we  entered  Santa  Cruz  he 
knocked  so  many  down  on  deck  that  the  passengers  had 
roast  duck  for  one  course  at  dinner.  In  fact,  for  a  citi- 
zen of  South  America,  the  captain  was  a  remarkably  fine 
sportsman.  He  never  used  a  shotgun  on  a  sitting  bird. 
He  could  kill  gulls  at  long  range  with  a  rifle  when  they 
were  bobbing  about  on  the  waves.  While  we  lay  in  Rio 
Gallegos  he  rode  out  on  the  table-land  one  day  with  a 
man  living  there  and  killed  three  guanacos,  using  the 
bolas  Indian  fashion  to  bring  them  down.  The  tourist 
who  sails  with  Captain  Chwaites  can  expect  to  have 
game  at  the  table  frequently  during  the  voyage. 

But  it  should  not  be  inferred  from  what  has  been  said 
so  far  that  the  table  was  beyond  criticism  during  my 
voyage.  For  instance,  the  napkins  were  not  changed  at 
any  time  oftener  than  once  a  week,  and  at  the  last  the 
interval  increased  to  ten  days.  The  table-cloth  remained 
unchanged  an  equal  period  ;  this,  too,  during  the  home 


THE  JOURNEY  ALONGSHORE.  289 

voyage,  when  the  number  of  first-class  passengers  had 
increased  to  twenty-five  and  the  table  had  to  be  set 
twice. 

The  captain  was  not  unaware  of  the  condition  of 
affairs.  He  stood  beside  me  one  day  while  the  steward 
shook  the  table-cloth  over  the  rail.  It  looked  as  one 
could  expect  a  cloth  to  look  after  ten  days'  use  at  sea. 

**  Look  at  that  cloth,"  said  the  bold  skipper.  "  Did 
you  ever  see  such  a  dirty  lot  of  passengers  ?  " 

I  was  eating  in  those  days  in  the  Captain's  sitting- 
room,  and  his  remark  had  no  personal  application.  I 
replied  : 

"  Looks  vile,  don't  it  ?  But  why  don't  you  order  the 
steward  to  wash  it  ?  " 

"  I  cannot.  There  is  so  little  soap.  Look  at  my 
hands.  I  have  no  soap  to  wash  them  with.  The  pas- 
sengers know  we  have  no  soap.  They  ought  to  be  care- 
ful, like  gentlemen." 

His  hands  certainly  showed  the  lack  of  soap.  So  did 
those  of  the  steward.  We  got  a  cup  of  coffee  with  a 
handful  of  sweet  crackers  in  lieu  of  the  meal  called 
breakfast  in  the  United  States.  One  did  not  want  even 
that  many  if  he  happened  to  see  the  steward  serving 
them  with  his  unwashed  hands. 

Then  the  vegetables,  which  were  abundant  on  leaving 
Buenos  Ayres,  dwindled  away  before  we  entered  the 
Straits  of  Magellan.  At  Punta  Arenas  cabbages,  turnips, 
potatoes,  and  some  other  roots  are  grown  and  sold  at  low 
prices,  but  we  got  such  a  scant  supply  that  for  the  last 
three  weeks  of  the  voyage  our  food  consisted  chiefly  of 
meat,  dried  peas  and  beans,  and  hard  bread. 

Worse  yet,  the  bed  linen  was  not  changed  during  the 
entire  voyage  of  nine  and   a  half  weeks.     Complaints 


290         THE    GOLD   DIGGINGS   OF  CAPE  HORN. 

were  of  no  avail,  so  I  was  at  last  glad  to  leave  my  bunk 
and  roll  up  in  a  fur  robe  of  Indian  manufacture  that  I 
bought  when  in  the  Rio  Gallegos.  With  a  lounge  in 
place  of  a  bunk,  I  was  as  dry  and  comfortable  as  I  had 
been  damp  and  miserable  in  the  bunk.  Should  any 
reader  of  this  try  the  voyage  he  will  need  to  take  a  large 
supply  of  woollen  under-  and  night-wear,  including  socks. 
The  proper  changes  of  these  will  serve  in  place  of 
changes  of  bedding. 

Nor  is  the  list  of  discomforts  complete.  When  leav- 
ing the  River  Plate  the  air  in  the  saloon  and  state-rooms 
was  insufferably  close.  There  was  no  ventilation  for  the 
state-rooms  save  through  the  doors  into  the  saloon.  The 
saloon  was  ventilated  through  the  doors  at  the  head  of 
the  companionway  and  through  the  skylight,  but  there 
was  no  sort  of  wind  sail  or  device  to  force  the  air  down. 
In  the  summer  time  in  the  River  Plate,  where  the  ther- 
mometer sometimes  marks  110°  in  the  shade,  that  saloon 
is  to  be  compared  only  with  a  Turkish  bath.  In  winter, 
while  coasting  along  Tierra  del  Fuego,  that  same  saloon 
becomes  like  the  vault  of  a  cold  storage  company.  The 
air  is  saturated  with  moisture,  and  the  temperature 
barely  above  the  freezing  point.  The  moisture  gathered 
like  dew  on  the  walls  of  the  saloon  as  well  as  of  the 
state-rooms,  and  sometimes  trickled  down  to  form  little 
pools  in  the  bunks  and  on  the  floor.  There  was  no  de- 
vice for  heating  or  drying  the  cabin,  neither  stove  nor 
steam-coil.  We  were  dressed  continually  in  the  heaviest 
flannels,  and  wore  heavy  overcoats,  but  the  chill  air 
penetrated  everything,  even  to  the  marrow  of  the  bones. 

I  once  passed  two  weeks  in  Greenland  in  the  month  of 
October,  and  exactly  two  years  later  was  digging  away 
the  snow  in  the  Rocky  Mountains  nine  thousand  feet 


THE  JOURNEY  ALONGSHORE.  29 1 

above  the  sea,  that  I  might  have  bare  ground  for  my 
blankets  at  night.  My  home  is  in  the  Adirondacks, 
where  the  snow  lies  four  feet  deep  all  winter  long,  but  I 
have  never  suffered  from  the  cold  as  I  did  during  four 
weeks  of  this  voyage. 

And  yet  at  times,  when  the  conditions  were  such  as  to 
make  us  all  most  uncomfortable,  we  often  enjoyed  life 
rather  better  than  at  any  others.  Our  greatest  trouble 
when  the  weather  first  became  cold  was  to  pass  the  even- 
ings. It  was  stupid  turning  into  wet  bunks  at  7  p.m., 
and  wretched  work  trying  to  play  cards  or  spin  stories 
in  a  raw,  cold,  reeking  saloon. 

But  a  happy  inspiration  struck  one  of  us  while  stand- 
ing by  the  hatch  leading  to  the  little  store-room  abaft 
the  cabin.  This  store-room  was  in  charge  of  the  shortest 
and  thickest  man  aboard  ship — a  person  v.'ho  looked  as 
if  he  had  once  been  a  typical  quartermaster  on  a  Yankee 
man-o'-war — a  great  tall,  broad-shouldered,  impassive, 
full-whiskered  man,  but  through  some  accident  had  been 
telescoped  down  to  a  stature  of  four  feet  nine.  The  first 
cold  evening  after  leaving  the  River  Plate  a  passenger, 
while  walking  the  deck  for  exercise,  stopped  by  the 
store-room  hatch  just  as  the  captain's  valet  came  there 
carrying  a  plate  with  a  tumbler  on  it. 

"  Storekeeper  ? "  said  the  lackey. 

"  Yes,"  replied  the  thick,  short  man. 

"  Cocktail." 

"  Yes,  sir.     Quickly." 

A  few  minutes  later  the  storekeeper  came  up  the 
ladder  carrying  a  glass  tube  about  ten  inches  long  and 
two  wide.  It  was  closed  at  the  bottom  and  had  a  long- 
handled  silver  plunger  in  it.  The  tube  had  about  two 
inches  of  a  light  brownish  liquor  in  the  bottom  over  a 


292         THE   GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORN. 

layer  of  sugar.  Standing  the  tube  on  the  deck  the  store- 
keeper pumped  the  plunger  up  and  down  vigorously. 
The  aroma  of  gin,  bitters,  lemon,  and  something  else 
greeted  the  nostrils  of  the  passenger.  The  storekeeper 
poured  the  mixture  into  the  glass  until  the  glass  was 
full.  Then  he  looked  at  the  tube.  There  was  a  quarter 
of  an  inch  of  the  mixture  left  there.  Backing  carefully 
down  into  the  store-room  the  storekeeper  looked  up  at 
the  passenger.  He  saw  that  the  passenger  was  looking 
at  the  remnant  in  the  tube.  The  storekeeper's  face  was 
absolutely  impassive,  as  a  whole,  but  when  he  caught  the 
passenger's  eye  he  looked  down  at  the  remnant,  moist- 
ened his  lips  with  his  tongue,  looked  up  slowly  at  the 
passenger  again,  and  then  his  right  eyelid  trembled  ex- 
pressively as  he  said  : 

"  It  is  a  cold  night,  is  it  not,  sir  ? " 

The  passenger  went  down  into  the  saloon  and  gath- 
ered about  the  table  the  French  merchant,  the  German 
count,  the  miner,  the  doctor,  the  Argentine  lieutenant, 
and  several  others.  Then  the  steward  was  called.  Could 
he  bring  some  things  from  the  store-room  ?  He  would 
be  pleased.     What  would  the  gentlemen  have  ? 

The  order  ran  something  like  this  :  Brandy,  sugar, 
lemons,  claret,  and  a  plenty  of  hot  tea  to  be  brought 
after  the  other  articles  were  delivered.  A  hot  soup 
tureen  was  also  included  in  the  order.  Some  sugar  was 
placed  in  the  tureen  and  a  bottle  of  brandy  poured  over 
it.  Then  the  brandy  was  fired,  and  the  blazing  mixture 
was  stirred  with  a  big  spoon  till  the  sugar  was  dissolved. 
After  that  a  bottle  of  claret  was  stirred  in,  and  then  a 
pot  of  hot  tea,  equal  in  measure  to  the  two  bottles  pre- 
viously used,  was  stirred  in  also.  Last  of  all  a  lemon 
was  sliced  in,  peeling  and  all,  while  the  stirring  was 
continued. 


THE  JOURNEY  ALONGSHORE.  293 

Possibly  this  mixture  would  not  be  countenanced  by 
the  art  drink  mixers  of  New  York.  There  may  be  some- 
thing wrong  with  the  process  or  something  lacking  in  the 
alcoholic  values,  but  for  travellers  on  an  Argentine  naval 
transport,  who  are  wearied  through  idleness  and  chilled 
by  the  mists  and  the  blasts  of  the  Patagonia  coast,  the 
drink  is  a  blessing  from  Bacchus. 

It  was  a  temperate  crowd,  on  the  whole.  The  excep- 
tional man  was  my  best  friend.  I  left  him  early  one 
night  on  deck  and  turned  in.  We  were  then  off  Gu 
St.  George.  At  2  o'clock  next  morning  came  this  man 
and  dragged  me  from  my  fur  robe  and  said  hoarsely  : 

"  On  deck  quickly.     The  ship  sinks." 

Then  he  fled  on  deck.  Though  but  half  awake,  I 
could  hear  the  ship's  pump  throbbing  at  lightning  speed. 
I  fled  on  deck  as  he  had  done.  He  had  disappeared. 
The  Captain  tranquilly  smoked  a  cigarette  under  the 
bridge. 

"  My  friend  So-and-so  just  told  me  the  ship  was  sink- 
ing," said  I.     The  Captain  shrugged  his  shoulders. 

"  He  has  had  six  bottles  to-night,"  said  he.  "  It  is  he, 
not  the  ship,  that  is  full."  The  engineer  had  been  test- 
ing the  pump,  and  the  noise  of  it  had  made  the  fancies 
of  my  friend  run  on  disaster  at  sea. 

The  curios  which  a  traveller  may  gather  on  a  voyage 
like  this  are  not  many  in  variety,  but  they  are  very  inter- 
esting as  far  as  they  go.  Most  people  would  call  the 
Patagonia  guanaco  skin  robe  or  blanket  the  most  valu- 
able product  of  native  industry.  The  pelage  of  the 
young  guanaco  is  a  soft  and  beautiful  fur — red  on  the 
back,  like  that  of  a  Virginia  deer,  and  shading  into  pure 
white  underneath.  The  skins  of  the  young  that  are  just 
about  to  be  born  or  have  just  been  born  are  preferred, 
because  the  fur  is  then  exquisitely  fine  and  the  skin 


294         THE   GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORN. 

never  gets  hard  and  stiff.  The  Patagonia  squaws  cut  the 
young  skins  into  pieces,  which  they  set  together  in  the 
form  of  a  great  blanket  in  which  the  colors  of  the  fur 
are  shown  to  the  greatest  advantage.  The  sewing  is 
done  with  sinews.  These  robes  are  everywhere  used  for 
beds  in  that  region,  while  no  desert  man  or  sheep  herder 
would]  think  of  living  without  one  in  lieu  of  any  other 
kind  of  a  blanket  for  his  protection  when  sleeping  in  the 
open  air.  In  Punta  Arenas  the  price  was  $35  paper 
each,  or  not  far  from  $9.50  gold.  In  Patagonia  ports  at 
the  north  they  can  be  had  for  a  little  less.  There  is  no 
difficulty  in  finding  them  on  sale.  They  would  proba- 
bly bring  from  $60  to  $75  gold  each  in  the  States. 

The  Patagonia  squaw  weaves  as  well  as  sews  furs. 
The  long  hair  is  sheared  from  the  guanaco  skin  and 
twisted  into  threads,  which  are  woven  much  as  the 
Pueblo  Indians  of  New  Mexico  weave  their  threads 
of  wool.  The  Patagonian  makes  small  woven  blankets 
called  ponchos,  which  are  used  as  neck  and  shoulder 
wraps  and  as  saddle  blankets,  but  would  look  very  well 
as  rugs  on  a  Northern  carpet.  By  the  use  of  dyes, 
bought  of  the  whites,  a  variety  of  bright  colors  are 
obtained,  but  these  are  intermingled  only  in  plain 
stripes.  When  compared  with  the  blankets  produced 
by  the  Indians  of  Guatemala — blankets  whose  figures  of 
fighting  beasts  ^nd  birds  have  a  savage  beauty  that  is 
marvellous  to  oehold — the  art  of  the  Patagonia  squaw 
makes  but  a  sorry  showing.  Nevertheless,  a  special  sad- 
dle blanket,  woven  with  a  long  nap  of  twisted  threads 
that  is  designed  to  fill  in  the  hollow  spaces  on  each  side 
of  the  too-prominent  backbone  of  the  desert  horses,  is 
at  once  novel  and  pleasing  to  the  eye. 

Other  things  likely  to  please  the  tourist  are  ostrich 


THE  JOURNEY  ALONGSHORE.  295 

feathers  and  eggs  ;  the  bolas  and  lassos  used  by  the 
plainsmen  of  all  kinds  when  hunting  ;  bovvs  and  arrows 
and  spears  of  the  Indians,  and  boots  made  of  the  skin 
of  a  colt's  hind  legs.  The  ostrich  feathers  are  gray, 
with  a  little  white  mixed  in,  and  are  but  little  handsomer 
in  their  native  state  than  a  turkey's  feathers.  Of  course, 
they  may  be  dyed  and  dressed  up  by  a  competent' 
worker. 

Then  there  are  shells  of  beautiful  color  and  forms 
which  the  tourist  can  gather  for  himself,  together  with 
feathery  white  seaweed,  and,  if  he  have  good  luck,  he 
may  find  in  one  of  the  perpendicular  alluvial  banks 
which  the  people  there  call  barrancas,  something  more 
interesting  still — the  petrified  remains  of  the  kangaroo, 
the  opossum,  the  monkey,  and  possibly  other  and  stran- 
ger forms  of  life  that  once  roamed  under  a  tropical  sky, 
where  now  the  weather  varies  between  that  of  a  New 
York  day  early  in  March  and  another  very  late  in  Novem- 
ber. I  saw  an  Italian  naturalist  who  had  found  the  re- 
mains of  two  birds,  which,  he  said,  were  different  from 
any  birds  ever  yet  discovered,  and  belonged  to  that 
period  of  history  when  birds  had  teeth,  and  were  just 
beginning  to  grow  feathers  on  their  bat-like  wings. 

In  making  a  collection  of  shells,  the  tourist  would 
probably  wonder  how  it  happened  that  a  very  pretty  mus- 
sel shell  found  in  New  Gulf,  Port  Desire,  and  the  Straits 
of  Magellan  should  be  almost  entirely  absent  at  Santa 
Cruz.  And  if  he  did  not  include  an  antediluvian  oyster 
shell,  say  fifteen  inches  long,  in  this  collection,  it  would 
be  for  lack  of  room  and  not  because  the  bivalve  was  not 
interesting. 

At  Punta  Arenas  and  at  Ushuaia  a  new  class  of  curios 
appears.      Most  prominent   are   rugs   of  mingled   otter 


296         THE   GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORN. 

skins,  of  seal  fur,  and  swan's  down.  The  snow-white 
down  beside  the  dark  fur  is  so  beautiful  that  few,  in- 
deed, can  resist  the  desire  to  buy  in  spite  of  the  high 
prices  asked.  A  lovelier  present  for  a  dainty  sweet- 
heart could  scarcely  be  imagined. 

Though  less  beautiful,  the  basket  woven  from  rushes 
by  the  Yahgan  Indians — a  pearl-shaped  affair  to  hold 
from  two  to  four  gallons — would  be  more  interesting  to 
the  tourist  who  is  a  naturalist.  The  arrow-heads  made 
by  the  Ona  Indians  of  Tierra  del  Fuego  from  pieces  of 
glass  bottles  that  have  been  cast  over  from  Cape  Horn 
ships  are  equally  interesting.  The  bows  and  arrows  are 
not  of  a  form  to  attract  special  attention,  except  that  the 
arrows  are  very  light.  One  wonders  how  such  a  weapon 
could  pierce  a  guanaco  or  a  lone  prospector,  as  they  are 
said  to  do.  That  the  arrow  points  are  usually  a  genuine 
Indian  product  I  presume  there  is  no  doubt,  though  not 
necessarily  Ona  made,  for  the  Tehuelches  of  Patagonia 
can  make  a  glass  arrow-head.  But  one  finds  so  many 
new  bows  on  sale  at  Punta  Arenas,  bows  that  show  the 
mark  of  a  jack-knife,  too,  that  a  doubt  is  thrown  over  the 
whole  collection. 

The  Onas,  too,  are  continually  at  war  with  the  whites. 
The  two  races  go  hunting  each  other  with  considerable 
success  on  both  sides.  The  whites,  of  course,  capture 
some  bows  and  arrows,  but  they  do  not  usually  bring 
them  in  as  trophies.  The  whites  of  Tierra  del  Fuego  are 
sheep  herders  or  gold  diggers,  who  do  not  want  to  be 
bothered  with  such  stuff.  Besides,  bows  from  the  battle- 
fields are  never  new  and  clean,  nor  do  they  show  marks 
of  a  jack-knife. 

Like  the  Eskimos  of  the  west  coast  of  Greenland, 
the  Yahgans  of   the  Cape   Horn   region   have   learned 


THE  JOURNEY  ALONGSHORE.  297 

that  the  whites  will  buy  curios,  and  they  supply  the 
market  by  making  models  of  their  canoes  and  weapons. 
At  first  thought  a  model  of  either  is  an  abomination 
to  one  who  has  a  proper  love  of  specimens  of  abo- 
riginal handicraft,  but  these  models,  if  genuine,  are 
really  good  exhibits  of  what  the  Indians  can  do,  and 
they  are  usually  of  such  perfect  form  as  to  portray,  in  a 
convenient  form  for  handling,  the  articles  used  by  the 
natives  in  their  daily  lives.  The  weapons  of  full  size 
may  readily  be  had — I  saw  offered  for  sale  one  spear 
reeking  with  the  blood  of  a  bird  the  Indian  had  just 
slain,  but  in  place  of  a  canoe  the  tourist  may  very  well 
be  content  with  a  model. 

Gold  dust  can  be  had  at  both  Punta  Arenas  and  Ushu- 
aia,  where  Storekeeper  Figue  of  Ushuaia  commonly  has 
nuggets  as  well  as  dust.  The  Tierra  del  Fuego  gold  is 
very  pure,  and  the  usual  way  of  buying  is  to  exchange  a 
British  sovereign  for  its  Aveight  in  dust — a  very  good 
trade  for  the  buyer. 

The  scenery  along  the  Patagonia  coast,  and  until  one 
has  passed  the  first  narrows  in  Magellan  Strait,  is  not 
likely  to  please  the  ordinary  tourist.  At  every  point  one 
finds  steep  alluvial  bluffs  or  rounded  hills  and  ridges, 
with  wide  arid  mesas  above  and  beyond  that  are  of  dull 
colors  and  without  variety.  Nevertheless,  there  is  some- 
thing about  the  desert  that  fascinates  the  lover  of  nature 
unmarred  by  human  hands.  What  it  may  be  I  cannot 
tell,  but  that  it  is  always  powerful  and  sometimes  irre- 
sistible I  do  not  doubt.  I  saw  men  there  who  had  trav- 
elled the  world  over,  had  had  the  best  of  education,  had 
enjoyed  the  luxuries  of  life  in  civilized  countries,  and 
had  the  means  of  returning  to  them  at  any  time,  but, 
nevertheless,  could  not  shake  off  the  spell.     They  were 


298         THE   GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORN. 

content  to  live  in  a  floorless  mud  hut,  even  in  no  shelter 
at  all  save  that  of  a  clump  of  the  thorny  brush  in  some 
wild  gulch,  where  their  only  companions  were  the  horses 
and  dogs,  with  an  occasional  visit  from  one  like  them- 
selves or  a  family  of  ill-smelling  Indians. 

South  from  Punta  Arenas,  through  Cockburn  Channel 
and  east  through  the  channels  below  Tierra  del  Fuego, 
the  scenery  is  wholly  different.  Snow-capped  moun- 
tains rise  out  of  the  sea,  barren  and  gray  just  below  the 
snow,  and  green  with  perpetual  verdure  for  a  thousand 
feet  above  the  water.  There  are  black  gulfs  and  inlets, 
and  narrow  channels  that  seem  to  end  abruptly,  crags 
where  the  sea  birds  build  their  nests,  gulches  and  canons 
where  torrents  come  roaring  and  sprawling  down.  Else- 
where, as  told  in  the  story  of  the  Yahgans,  there  are 
rolling  foot-hills  with  green  meadows  among  groves  of 
trees  that  wave  and  flash  in  the  sunlight  on  a  pleasant 
day. 

There  are  glaciers  that  lie  in  hollows  on  the  mountain 
side,  and  here  and  there  push  little  moraines  before  them 
in  their  heavy  course  down  the  valleys  to  the  water.  A 
couple  reach  to  the  water's  edge  and  throw  off  tiny  ice- 
bergs that  go  drifting  about  with  the  tide  and  wind. 
Better  yet,  if  one  really  loves  nature,  are  the  storms. 
Seen  from  a  sailing-vessel  in  danger  of  drifting  on  the 
rocks  that  are  a  hundred  leagues  from  help,  the  storms 
are  fearsome  ;  but  when  seen  from  the  deck  of  a  well- 
found  steamer,  when  wrapped  in  water-proofs  and  furs, 
they  are  magnificent.  The  gale  goes  roaring  up  the 
mountain,  carrying  the  snow  in  fluffy  masses  to  the  very 
crest  and  hurls  it  thence  in  smoky,  quivering  tongues, 
1200  feet  into  the  air.  The  same  phenomenon  may  be 
seen  on  the  coast  of  Greenland,  but  in  the  Beagle  Chan- 


THE  JOURNEY  ALONGSHORE.  299 

nel  the  mountains  are  nearer  at  hand,  their  sides  more 
precipitous,  and  the  winds  fiercer.  And  then  there  are 
the  "  williwaws "  the  whalers  tell  about,  the  whirling 
squalls  that  pick  up  the  Avater,  as  the  sand  is  picked  up  on 
the  plains  of  New  Mexico  to  form  writhing  columns  a 
thousand  feet  high.  There  is  something  in  the  whizz 
and  swish  of  wind  and  water,  as  one  of  these  passes  the 
ship,  that  stirs  the  blood  as  nothing  else  in  nature,  short 
of  a  tornado  or  live  volcano,  can  do. 

American  art  students  go  to  Europe  to  complete  their 
education  by  copying  old-time  paintings  of  apostles — 
apostles  standing  erect  in  a  boat  not  large  enough  to  ac- 
commodate their  feet  without  pinching — and  then  come 
home  to  gabble  about  the  beauties  of  nature.  The 
picture  of  a  saint,  regardless  of  surroundings,  may  in- 
spire the  soul  with  religious  fervor  and  teach  the  strug- 
gling youth  to  put  that  fervor  on  the  canvas,  but  if  one 
would  paint  a  landscape  that  will  at  once  thrill  the 
soul  with  terror  and  awake  it  to  an  appreciation  of  the 
wildest  scene  in  nature,  let  him  make  studies  of  the 
williwaws  in  the  Cape  Horn  region,  with  frozen  volca- 
noes vomiting  flames  of  snoAv  for  a  background. 

The  Ushuaia  sailed  out  of  Buenos  Ayres  on  Wednes- 
day, April  1 8th.  She  arrived  back  on  Saturday,  June  23d. 
I  should  say  there  is  probably  no  other  voyage  in  the 
world  that  a  tourist  could  make  in  which  he  would  suffer 
more  physical  discomforts.  The  most. of  these  as  I  saw 
them  were  due  to  the  wretched  design  of  the  remodelled 
lighter,  but  some  were  inseparable  from  such  a  voyage 
because  due  to  the  climate  and  the  distance  one  goes 
from  civilized  communities. 

Nevertheless,  the  liking  for  North  Americans  which 
the  Argentines  everywhere  professed,  their  hearty  efforts 


300 


THE    GOLD  DIGGINGS  OF  CAPE  HORN. 


to  make  me  comfortable  because  I  Avas  a  North  Amer- 
ican, the  delights  of  visiting  the  old-time  ports  and 
waters  of  which  one  reads  in  the  thrilling  tales  of  early 
exploration,  these,  with  many  other  things  that  come  to 
mind,  combine  to  crowd  from  the  memory  everything 
disagreeable,  and  I  can  think  of  the  voyage,  as  a  whole, 
only  with  the  greatest  pleasure. 


INDEX. 


Aborigines  of  Cape  Horn,  story 
of,  47  et  seq. 

"Adobe  Money"  depreciated, 
currency  of  Spanish-American 
nations,  279 

Adventures  ht  Patagonia,  by 
Titus  Coan,  154 

Aguirre  Bay  {see  Spaniard  Har- 
bour). 

Akers,  Mr.  C.  E.,  author  of  ^r- 
gentine,  Patagonian,  and  Chil- 
ian Sketches,  249 

Alaculoof  Indians,  called  Fuegi- 
ans,  100  ;  seen  by  early  navi- 
gators, 1 28  ;  home  of,  134  ;  de- 
scribed by  early  navigators,  1 34 ; 
story  of  agressiveness  of,  134 
et  seq.  ;  R.  C.  Mission  to,  136 

Alaska,  reference  to  colony  of 
outlaws  in,  67 

Albatross,  white,  seen  off  Staten 
Island,  141  ;  enormous  speci- 
mens of,  in  Patagonia,  209 ; 
eaten  by  early  navigators,  2og  ; 
superstition  of  sailors  concern- 
ing, 2og 

Allen  Garditier  {see  Mission 
schooner). 

Alluvial   banks   of    Cape    Horn 


region,  7-21,  295  ;  beds  of 
Patagonia  and  Tierra  del 
Fuego,  64,  125  ;  cliffs  of  New 
Gulf,  171,  26S 

American  lion  {see  Panther). 

Andes,  break  in  the,  in  Pata- 
gonia, at  Gallegos  River,  125, 
2S2 ;  in  Tierra  del  P\iego, 
from  San  Sebastian  to  Useless 
Bay,  125 

Animals,  found  in  Patagonia, 
184  et  seq.,  194-200  ;  of  tlie 
desert,  able  to  live  without 
water,  200 

Anson,  Admiral,  description  of 
land  of  the  Yahgans  by,  49 

Ansorge,  Herr  Bruno,  gold  miner 
at  Paramo,  14  ;  found  bit  of 
gold  ore,  22;  member  of  sing- 
ing club,   267 

Antarctic  Highlanders  {see  Yah- 
gans). 

Archipelago  of  Cape  Horn,  47 

Arctic,  S.  S.,  wrecked  on  Cape 
Virgin,  6 

Arenas,  Punta  {see  under  Punta). 

Argentine,  Capital  {see  Ushuaia). 

Argentine,  Government  sends  en- 
gineer to  gold  region  of  Pata- 
gonia, 7;  establishes  settlement 
at  Ushuaia,  fearing  Chilian  en- 


301 


302 


INDEX. 


croachment,  loi  et  seq.,  io8  ; 
grants  land  to  Mr.  Bridges, 
121  ;  transport  Ushuaia  sails 
for  Staten  Island,  138  {see 
Ushuaia)  ;  generous  to  Welsh 
colonists,  \l\et seq.;  depressed 
condition  of  currency  of,  221  ; 
hospitality  shown  on  pampas 
of,  256  ;  naval  transports  of, 
260  ;  great  consumption  of 
tiiat^  in,  271  ;  prepares  Santa 
Cruz  as  base  of  operations, 
276  ;  Lake,  traces  of  gold 
at,  278  ;  land  system  dis- 
courages small  owners,  280  ; 
connected  with  other  lakes 
by  navigable  channels,  280  ; 
population  on  border  line  of, 
friendly  to  Chili,  2S2  ;  difli- 
culty  of  obtaining  justice  in, 
282 

Argentine,  Patagonian,  and 
Chiliati  Sketches,  by  Mr.  C. 
E.  Akers,  249 

Armadillo,  jireyof  panther,  195  ; 
two  varieties  of,  19S  ;  interest- 
ing habits  of,  198  et  seq.; 
methods  of  killing  snakes, 
igg  ;  delicious  article  of  food, 
1 99  ;  not  found  south  of 
Santa  Cruz  River,  199  ;  grubs 
for  worms,  199  ;  methods  of 
catching  mice,  199  ;  robs  nests, 
199  ;  suggestion  as  to  importa- 
tion of,  into  United  States, 
200 

Arms,  Mr.,  sent  to  Patagonia 
with  Rev.  Mr.  Coan,  154 

Asado,  or  beef  roasting,  by 
gauchos,  229 

Asses'  Ears,  point  of  New  Island, 
16,  17 

Axes,  of  Yahgans,  shell,  57-59 
{see  Yahgans). 


B 


Baccarat,  favorite  game  in  Punta 
Arenas,  44 


Backhausen,  Herr  Carlos,  gold 
miner  at  Paramo,  14 

Bala  College,  i6g 

Banner  Cove  (see  Picton  Island). 

Baptists  at  Frondrey,  177 

Barrancas,  vertical  earth  banks, 
21  ;  perpendicular  alluvial 
banks,  295 

Bars,  number  of  licensed,  in 
Punta  Arenas,  40 

Beagle  Channel,  Ushiiaiain,  15  ; 
ranch  of  Mr.  Bridges  on,  62  ; 
milder  climate  of,  117  ;  charm- 
ing scenery,  117 ;  profits  of 
ranching  on,  119,  122  ;  market 
for  products,  120,  138 

Beech,  Antarctic,  trees  of  Fue- 
gian  Islands,   50 

Beer  made  at  Quilmes,  244 

Bell  snake,  gaucho  term  for  rat- 
tlesnake, 246 

Benfield,  Mr.  Theo.,  story  of 
wonderful  find  by,  21  et  seq. 

Berberis,  berry  of  thorn  bush, 
76;  medicinal  decoction  of,  134 

Big  Feet,  name  given  to  Tehuel- 
ches,  173 

Birds,  of  Patagonia,  201-214  >  in- 
teresting to  sportsmen,  206  ; 
interesting  to  naturalists,  208  ; 
in  North  Patagonia  migrate 
farther  south,  210  ;  thirteen 
Arctic  varieties  of,  migrate  to 
Patagonia,   210  ;    and  insects, 

173 

Bolas,  weapons  used  by  Ona  In- 
dians, 59;  "  thelost,"  used  by 
Tehuelche  Indians,  164  ;  used 
in  hunting  panthers,  194 ; 
how  to  make  them,  235  ;  how 
to  use  them,  235  ;  effective 
weapons,  235 

Bongos,  canoes  of  Bay  of  Pan- 
ama, 55 

Bougainville,  M.,  150  ;  French 
explorer,  260 

Bows  and  arrows,  weapons  of 
Onas,  129,  296 ;  vv'eapons  of 
Tehuelches,  164,  296 


INDEX. 


303 


Brecknock  Pass,  15 

Bridges,  Rev.  Thomas,  describes 
Yahgan  canoes,  55  ;  compiles 
grammar  of  Yahgan  language, 
62  ;  descriptions  of  Yahgan 
character,  66  ;  descriptions  of 
Yahgan  cooking,  76  ;  first  ar- 
rival at  Keppel  Island,  85  ; 
learns  Yahgan  language,  87  ; 
becomes  a  missionary,  go  ; 
labors  among  Yahgans,  91  ; 
reports  condition  of  Ushuaia, 
93  et  seq. ;  method  of  solv- 
ing Hidugalahgoon's  matrimo- 
nial troubles,  94 ;  picture  of 
life  at  the  station,  97  ;  turns 
ranchman,  118  ;  home  of,  on 
Beagle  Channel,  118  ;  family 
of,  119;  profits  of  ranching, 
119  ;  how  ranch  was  obtained, 
120 ;  extract  of  lecture  in 
Buenos  Ayres,  121  ;  charges 
against,  122  ;  land  of,  be- 
longed to  Y'ahgans,  124;  safe 
journey  of,  through  Ona  coun- 
try, 133 

Buenos  Ayres,  excitement  in, 
over  gold  discoveries,  8  ;  Mr. 
Bridges  lectures  in,  120  ;  Men- 
tions of,  "  the  Athens  of  South 
America,"  248,  252  ;  Ushuaia 
starts  from,  261  ;  hard  biscuit 
of,  275  ;  Ushuaia  returns  to, 
299 

Bunch  Grass,  178  ;  seed,  157  ; 
eaten  by  Indians  and  gauchos, 
238 

Burleigh,  Rev.  Mr.,  at  mission 
station,  Tekenika  Bay,  104 

Button,  Jemmy,  a  Yahgan, 
taken  to  England  by  Darwin, 
62  ;  goes  to  Keppel  Island,  85; 
conduct  towards  his  fellov.s,  99 


Cabbages,  size  of,  at  Ushuaia, 
115  >  grown  at  Punta  Arenas, 
289 

Cape  Horn  (see  Horn). 


Cape  Virgin  {see  Virgin). 

Canoes  of  Yahgans,  54-57 

Caramba,  use  of  the  word,  231 

Caranchos,  species  of  vulture, 
162  ;  abundant,  212  ;  aid 
panther  hunters,   213 

Carmen  de  Patagones,  Spanish 
colony  on  Rio  Negro,  152  ; 
paid  tribute  to  natives,  152 

Cattle  and  sheep  raising  con- 
ducive to  over-hospitality,  254 
et  seq. 

Celery,  wild,  found  in  Fuego,  a 
delicate  vegetable,  49 

Centenera,  Del  Barco,  Spanish 
writer,  192 

Channels,  labyrinthian,  of  Cape 
Horn,  25 

Cheenah,  Indian  squaw,  147  etseq. 

Chico  River,  280 

Chili,  takes  possession  of  Port 
I'^amine  and  the  Straits  of 
Magallanes,  27  ;  renames  Port 
Famine,  28  ;  depressed  con- 
dition of  currency  of,  221;  jus- 
tice to  be  had  in,  2S2 

Chiloe,  island  of,  4 

Chisels,  wooden,  59  (jtv  Yahgans). 

Chubut,  Welsh  colony  settled  at, 
168  ;  hardships  of  colony  at, 
171  et  seq.;  foes  of  the  desert, 
173  ;  area  and  population  of, 
177  ;  railroad  constructed 
from,  to  New  Gulf,  179,  269; 
Welsh  colony  of,  252  ;  tramp 
element  in  Welsh  colony  of, 
256 

Chubut  River,  33,  168,  173 

Chwaites,  H.  V.,  Captain  of  the 
Ushuaia,  263,  285  ;  a  fine 
sport>3man,  2S8  ;  hunting  gua- 
nacos  with  bolas,  2S8 

Clark,  Mr.  William,  ranchman 
at  Gallegos,  225,  256  et  seq. 

Climate  of  Cape  Horn  region, 
23;  of  Punta  Arenas,  46,  91  ; 
of  land  of  Yahgans,  49,  53  ; 
12°  below  zero  the  coldest,  52; 
of  Gallegos,  peculiarity  of,  286 


304 


INDEX. 


Coan,  Rev.  Mr.  Titus,  theologi- 
cal student,  154  ;  sent  to  Pata- 
gonia, 154  ;  experiences  in, 
154  ;  author  of  Adventures  in 
Patagonia,  154  ;  found  runa- 
way sailors  among  Tehuelches, 
258 

Cockburn  Channel,  15,  47  ; 
scenery  of,  298 

Colonia  de  Magallanes,  La,  or 
Port  Famine,  27  ;  nicknamed 
Sandy  Point,  28  et  seq.  ;  penal 
colony  established  at,  28  ; 
prison  burned,  33 

Colony,  Welsh  {see  under  Welsh). 

Condors,  size  of,  212  ;  aids  to 
panther  hunters,  213 

Cook,  Captain,  describes  land  of 
the  Yahgans,  49  ;  wild  celery, 
49  ;  sailors  of,  find  albatross 
good  eating,  209  ;  early  navi- 
gator, 260 

Coots  found  on  Chubut  River,  173 

Cordilleras,  wild  cattle  hunting 
in,  31  ;  snow-capped  peaks  of, 
34,  224  ;  Gallegos  River  rises 
in,  282 

Cormorants  found  in  Patagonia, 
208 

Coypu,  hunted  for  fur,  good 
eating,  197  ;  aquatic  'possum, 
or  species  of  beaver,  197;  pe- 
culiar formation  of,  197 

Cripple  Creek,  140 

Cruz,  Santa,  River  {see  under 
Santa). 

Cuerpo  de  Bomberos,  gambling 
club  in  Punta  Arenas,  44 

Curios  to  be  found  in  Patagonia, 
43.  293-297 

Currency  of  Argentina  and  Chili, 
depressed  condition  of,  221  ; 
value  of  gold  and  paper,  222 

D 

Darwin,  Sound,  15  ;  Mt.,  peak 
of  coast  range  on  Tierra  del 
Fuego,  47 

Darwin,  Charles,  the  naturalist, 


describes  Yahgans,  62  ;  takes 
Jemmy  Button  to  England,  62; 
explores  Santa  Cruz  River,  169; 
opinion  of  Patagonia,  183  ; 
misstatements  concerning  gua- 
nacos,  185  ;  mentions  black- 
faced  Ibises,  211 

Dandelions  thrive  in  the  desert, 
357 

Deer,  found  in  forests  of  Andes, 
198;  destroy  desert  snakes,  198 

Denominational  churches  in 
Welsh  colony,  177 

Deserts  of  Patagonia,  157  ;  in- 
hospitable region,  157;  springs 
far  apart,  157  ;  well  adapted 
to  guanacos  and  ostriches,  157; 
foes  of  the,  173  ;  bushes  of 
the,  183,  232  ;  snakes  of,  de- 
stroyed by  deer,  ig8  ;  similar 
to  desert  regions  of  United 
States,  199  ;  armadilloes  thrive 
in,  199 ;  animals  of,  able  to 
live  without  water,  200;  ostrich 
hunting  in,  204  et  seq.;  silence 
of  the,  212,  232  ;  fascination 
of,  227,  232  ;  sparrow  of  the, 
232 

Desire,  Port  {see  under  Port). 

Desolation  Bay,  15 

Diaz,  Don  Rui,  Spanish  Captain, 
192 

Dido,  S.  S.,  sent  to  Spaniard 
Harbour,  84 

Dragon  fly,  called  "  the  son  of 
the  southwest  gale,"  246 

Ducks,  uncounted  hosts  at  Cape 
Horn,  75;  enormous  quantities 
at  Staten  Island,  140 ;  near 
Chubut,  173  ;  prey  of  panther, 
195  ;  curiosity  of  wild,  206 
shooting  too  easy,  206;  quanti- 
ties of,  in  interior,  207  ;  favor- 
ite breeding  places,  208  ;  curi- 
ous air  dance  of,  212  ;  color 
and  curiosity  of,  off  Santa  Cruz, 
288 

Dugouts,  canoes  used  in  Carib- 
bean Sea,  55 


INDEX. 


305 


E 


Eggs,  methods  of  gathering,  68  ; 

methods  of  cooking,   76,  238  ; 

panthers  eat,  195;  ostrich,  202; 

size  of  ostrich,  238 
Elephants    formerly    existed    in 

Patagonia,  157 
Elizabeth    Island,    sheep    thrive 

on,  31 
El  Paramo  {see  Paramo). 
Endeavor,  Captain  Cook's  ship, 

209 
Eskimos,      Yahgans      compared 

with,  49 
Extradition  treaty  between  Chili 

and  Argentine  of  little  value, 

286 

F 

Fables  of  Tehuelches,  159  {see 
Tehuelches). 

Falkland  Islands,  27,  150,  222 

Famine,  Port  {see  under  Port 
Famine). 

Farina,  a  ground  root,  222 

Fauna  of  Patagonia,  68,  75,  76, 
83,  140,  157,  173,  183,  184  et 
seq.,  194  et  seq.,  198-200,  206 
etseq.,  212,  288 

Felis  Concolor  {see  Panther). 

Ferns,  45 

Figue,  Adolph  and  Louis,  mer- 
chants at  Ushuaia,  22,  115,  297 

Fish,  native  methods  of  catching, 
59,    60 ;   sea    filled   with,    75, 

83 
Fitzroy,  Captain,  67,  73,  81 
Flints  and  agates  abound  in  the 

Ona  country,  132 
Flora  of  Patagonia,  li,  43,  45, 

49,  50,68,75,  76,83,115,  157, 

178,  183,  200,  222,  238,  289 
Flores  Island,  quarantine  station 

of  Uruguay,  228 
Flowers    in    great    profusion    in 

Punta  Arenas,  45 
Fossil,  mastodon's  jaw,   21  ;    of 

opossum,  kangaroo,  and  mon- 


key, 64  ;  in  Tierra  del  Fuego, 
125  ;  of  glyptodon,  201,  295 

Fox,  gray,  flourishes  in  Pata- 
gonia, 198 

"  Friend  of  Man,"  gaucho  term 
for  panther,  246 

Frondrey,  village  of,  177 

Fruits,  small,  76 

Fuegians  {see  Alaculoof). 

Fuegian  Islands,  mountains  of, 
50 

Fuego,  Tierra  del,  7  ;  placer 
gold  found  on,  i,  7,  22  ;  ex- 
plored by  Popper,  9  ;  Bay  of 
Port  Pantaloons  in,  17  ;  peaks 
of  coast  range  on,  47  ;  mag- 
nificent vegetation  of,  49  ; 
prairies  of,  124  ;  climate  and 
fertility  of,  124  ;  size  and 
shape  of  island,  125;  contrast  to 
Patagonia,  125  ;  bones  of  ani- 
mals found  in,  125  ;  rainfall 
and  frosts  of,  125  ;  sheep  rais- 
ing introduced  into,  126  ;  the 
industry  spreads,  127  ;  three 
Argentine  stations  in,  127  ; 
origin  of  name,  128  ;  ships 
wrecked  on,  254;  Ona  Indians 
of,  296;  scenery  through  chan- 
nels of,  298 

Fungus,  yellow,  vegetable  food, 
75.  ''57  J  eaten  by  Indians  and 
gauchos,  238 

Fuschias,  45 

Future  Bay,  near  Punta  Arenas, 
10 

G 

Gable  Island,  in  Beagle  Channel, 
62 ;  sheep  ranch  of  Mr. 
Bridges  on,  iiS 

Gallegos,  successful  sheep  raising 
in,  216  ;  ranchmen  at,  224  ei 
seq.  ;  description  of  ranchmen, 
225  ;  game  of  cards,  corn  ker- 
nels for  chips,  225  ;  ordinance 
against  tramps  in,  255  ;  the 
capital  of  Santa  Cruz  territory, 
281  ;  location  of,  281  ;  build- 


3o6 


IMDEX. 


ings  of,  like  a  Yankee  mining 
camp  283  ;  good  cattle  country 
back  of,  283  ;  placer  gold 
mines  along  coast  south  of, 
283  ;   size  of  the  capital  city, 

283  ;  unattractive  appearance 
of,    283  ;   every  store  a  hotel, 

284  ;  hotels  compared  with 
those  of  Mexico,  284  ;  queer 
boarding-house  in,  284  et  seq.  ; 
Dona  Philomela,  the  hostess, 
284  ;  occasional  arrests  and 
trials  in,  286 ;  government 
officials  of,  2S6  ;  Captain  of 
Police  in,  a  cripple,  286  ;  pecu- 
liar climate  of,  286  ;  high 
winds  in,  286  ;  winter  the 
pleasantest  season,  287 

Gallegos  River,  14,  16  ;  prob- 
ably a  strait  in  former  ages, 
125  ;  volcanic  mountain  peak 
south  of,  157  ;  parrots  found 
at  the  heads  of,  213  ;  popula- 
tion between  Santa  Cruz 
River  and,  friendly  to  Chili, 
282  ;  rises  in  Cordilleras  near 
Pacific  Ocean,  282  ;  size  of, 
282;  navigable,  282  ;  lava  beds, 

282  et  seq.  y  perfect  pasture 
land  along,  283;  lands  south,' 
filled  with  shepherds,  283 ; 
lack  of  fuel  on  north  side  of, 

283  ;  Captain  Chwaites  hunts 
the  guanaco  with  bolas,  288 

Galletas,  bullet-like  loaves  of 
bread,  241 

Gardiner,  Captain  Allen  Francis, 
R.  N.,  first  missionary  to 
Fuegian  Indians,  80  ;  attempt 
to  live  among  Yahgans  fails, 
81  ;  fits  out  launches  in  Eng- 
land and  returns  to  Tierra  del 
Fuego,  82 

Gauchos, or  cowboys,  33;  methods 
of  fox  hunting,  198  ;  methods 
of  ostrich  hunting,  205  ;  meth- 
ods of  hunting  prairie  chick- 
ens, 208  ;  definition  of  the 
word,     228  ;    resemble     Nan- 


tucket whalers,  229  ;  peculiar 
dress  of,  230  ;  in  the  wilder- 
ness, 231  ;  reasons  for  becom- 
ing, 233  ;  wild  life  fasci- 
nating to  all  men,  233  et  seq.; 
blankets  and  fur  robes  used  by, 
233,  235  ;  the  ways  and  man- 
ners of,  234 ;  dress  of,  234 ; 
outfit  of,  inexpensive,  234  ; 
weapons  of,  235  ;  methods  of 
fighting,    236 ;     wild    life    of, 

236  et  seq. ;  usual  breakfast 
of,  236  et  seq. ;  superb  riders, 

237  ;  method  of  cooking  ostrich 
eggs.  238  ;  fat  of  panther  most 
satisfying  food,  23S ;  appetite 
of,  238  et  seq.;  meat  diet  alune 
not  satisfying,  238  ;  as  seen  by 
travellers,  239  ;  ways  of  spend- 
ing money,  239  ;  enjoyment 
of  "  jags,"  239  ;  pride  of,  240; 
dangerous  to  insult,  240  ;  eti- 
quette of  smoking,  240  ; 
branding  cattle,  241  ;  powers 
of  endurance,  241  ;  description 
of  house  of,  242  ;  manner  of 
eating,  242  et  seq.  ;  home  life 
of,  243  ;  amusements  of,  243  ; 
cheating  at  cards  counted  a 
mark  of  superior  skill  by, 
243  ;  description  of  saloons, 
244;  native  drinks,  2^/[et seq.; 
liquor  glasses,  244  ;  etiquette 
of  drinking,  245  ;  viate  tea 
making,     245  ;     character    of, 

246  et  seq.  ;  terms  and  sayings 
of,    246   et  seq.  ;  religion   of, 

247  ;  compared  with  North 
American  cowbovs,  247  et 
seq.  ;  enjoyment  of  life,  248 

Geese,  myriads  of,  75  ;  prey  of 
panther,  195;  beautiful  colors 
of  wild,  207  ;  two  varieties  of 
wild,  207  ;  good  sport,  207  ; 
favorite  breeding  places  of,2o8 

Gente  Grande  Bay,  rich  pastures 
of,  126  ;  introduction  and 
spread  of  sheep  raising  in,  126 
et  seq. 


INDEX. 


307 


Glyptodons,  fossil  remains  of,  201 

Gold,  first  discoveries  of, on  Pata- 
gonian  coast,  I-5  ;  sailors 
wrecked  at  Cape  Virgin,  4  ; 
story  of,  5  ;  bearing  banks  of 
Cape  Horn  region,  7  ;  rich 
finds  of,  at  New  Island,  16  et 
seq.  ;  at  Port  Pantaloons,  17  ; 
marvellous  quality  of,  at  Slog- 
gett  Bay,  20  ;  peculiar  diffi- 
culties of  mining  in  Sloggett 
Bay,  21  ;  on  New  Year's  Is- 
land, 150  ;  found  in  Welsh 
colony,  178  ;  traces  of,  at  Lake 
Argentine,  278 

Gold  diggings,  story  of,  2—4,  7  I 
at  Cape  Virgin  worked  out,  10  ; 
further  explorations,  10 ;  at 
Paramo,  richness  of,  12  etseq.; 
supply  renewed  after  storms 
and  spring  tides,  13  ;  ore  found 
in  a  bit  of  drift  rock,  22  ;  no 
quartz  veins  in  Cape  Horn 
region,  22  ;  miners  at  work 
between  Gallegos  and  Cape 
Virgin,  283  ;  dust  obtained  at 
Punta  Arenas  and  Ushuaia,  297 

Gnats  (see  Punkies). 

Grand  Chaco  forests  of  the  Ar- 
gentine, 228 

Greenwood,  Mr.  W.  H.,  193 

Grey,  Mr.  H.,  Yankee  merchant, 
30 

Grubb,  Mr.  W.  Balbrooke, 
school  teacher  at  Keppel 
Island,  88 

Guanaco,  hunted,  31  ;  red-haired, 
51  ;  modified  camel,  64,  75  ; 
how  hunted  by  Onas,  129 ; 
first  view  of,  184  ;  habits  of, 
184 ;  description  of,  184  et 
seq.  ;  Darwin's  observations 
of,  185,  t86  ;  curious  habits  of, 
185,  186,  189 ;  wallowing 
places  of,  187  ;  methods  of 
self-defence,  187;  vast  herds 
of,  188 ;  sense  of  smell  and 
curiosity  of,  188,  195  ;  sure 
footed,     189 ;     pleasing    pets 


when  young,  189  ;  flesh  good 
eating,  190;  mainstay  of  In- 
dian, 190  ;  hides  valuable,  190  ; 
price  of  skins  of,  190  ;  medici- 
nal quality  of  ball  in  stomach 
of,  190 ;  the  staple  food  of 
panther,  195  ;  beautiful  fur  of, 
293  ;  skins  used  for  beds,  294  ; 
price  of  skins  of,  294 

Gulf  of  St.  George,  293 

Gulls  of  Cape  Horn,  75 ;  tiny 
species  off  Staten  Island,  141  ; 
called  Cape  Horn  pigeon,  208 

Guy  Maniieriiig  wrecked  off 
Staten  Island,   144 

H 

Hamilton,  James,  Vi.Y).,  Memoir 
of  Richard  Williams,  by,  84  ; 
John,  215  ;  siieap  raiser  in 
Patagonia,  2S0 

Hansen,  Harry,  gold  prospector, 

15 

Hermit  Island,  gold-bearing 
banks  on,  7  ;  a  few  Yahgans 
left  on,  72,  78 

Ilidugalahgoon,  matrimonial  dif- 
ficulties of,   94 

Hope,  Point,  in  Alaska,  77 

Horn,  Cape,  gold-bearing  banks 
on,  7  ;  first  view  of  mine  camp 
at,  9  ;  miners  of,  24  ;  labyrin- 
thian  channels  of  region  of, 
25  ;  metropolis  of,  27  ;  archi- 
pelago, 47  ;  story  of  aborigines 
of,  47  et  seq.  y  mission,  79  ; 
region,  snow  storms  every 
month  in  the  year,  91,  125  ; 
pigeons,  species  of  gull,  208  ; 
beauty  of  pigeons,  209  ;  In- 
dians of,  eat  penguins,  209 

Horse  meat,  great  delicacy  to 
Onas  and  Tehuelches,  129 

Hospitality,  unbounded,  in  the 
Argentine  pampas  and  Pata- 
gonia ranches,  256 

Hudson,  Mr.  W.  IL,  author  of 
Naturalist  in  La  Plata,  186 

Humming  birds,  214 


3o8 


INDEX. 


Ibanez  (Gregorio),  Don,  Argen- 
tine sailor,  wrecked  on  Cape 
Virgin,  4  ;  finds  gold,  5 

Ibises,  black-faced,  song  and 
dance  of,  211  et  seq. 

Indians,  attack  explorers  at  San 
Sebastian  Bay,  11  ;  trade  with, 

43  ;  squaw  in  tailor-made  gown, 

44  ;  three  tribes  of,  in  Cape 
Horn  Archipelago,  74  et  seq.  ; 
nomads  of  Patagonia  {see  Te- 
huelche),  151  et  seq.  ;  make 
use  of  all  parts  of  guanacos, 
190  ;  of  Patagonia  eat  skunks, 
198  ;  make  pets  of  skunks, 
198  ;  of  Cape  Horn  region  eat 
penguins,  209  ;  vegetable  food 
of,  238 

Insects,  varieties  of,  173,  1S3 
Iron   ore   found   on    one   island 
only,  76 


Jones,  Mr.  Lewis,  169 

Jones,  Dr.  Michael,  founder  of 
Welsh  colony  at  Chubut,  169  ; 
wishes  to  perpetuate  Welsh 
language,  181  ;  Spanish  the 
language  of  the  Argentine, 
182 

Journey,  alongshore  in  Cape 
Horn  region,  15  ;  begun,  260 
et  seq.  ;  departure  from  Buenos 
Ayres,  261  ;  life  on  board 
Ushuaia,  261-268  ;  prevailing 
winds,  268  ;  arrival  at  New 
Gulf,  268  ;  attractive  telegraph 
operator,  269 ;  en  route  for 
Port  Desire,  269 ;  captain's 
confidence,  270  ;  view  of  Port 
Desire  disappointing,  270  ;  de- 
scription of  Port  Desire,  271  ; 
visit  to  the  Sub-Prefect,  273  ; 
dinner  with  a  ranchman,  275  ; 
arrival  at  Santa  Cruz,  276 ; 
town  consists  of  nine  buildings, 


277  ;  plan  of  city,  278  ;  arrival 
at  Gallegos,  2S1  ;  unattractive- 
ness  of  Gallegos,  2S3  et  seq.  ; 
one  clean  hotel,  284 ;  intro- 
duced to  Gov.  Mayer,  285 ; 
discomforts  on  the  Ushuaia, 
2S8-291  ;  interesting  curios  to 
be  collected,  293-297  ;  return 
to  Buenos  Ayres,  299  ;  pleas- 
ant memories  of,  300  ;  {see  also 
under  Staten  Island). 

K 

Kangaroo,  petrified  remains  of, 
64,  157 

Kayaks,  canoes  of  Eskimos,  55 

Keppel  Island,  mission  station 
established  on,  85  ;  prepara- 
tory school  of  the  mission,  87 

Kevalinyes,  the,  of  Point  Hope, 

King,  Mr.,  describes  magnificent 
vegetation  in  land  of  Yahgans, 

Knives,  weapons  of  Tehuelches, 
164  ;  price  of,  used  by  gau- 
chos,  235  ;  useful  at  meal 
times,  242  ;  murderous  weap- 
ons, 248  ;  size  of,  275 


Lagoons  of  Rio  Gallegos,  211 
Lake  Nehuel-Huapi,  164 
Land  of  Yahgans,  49-52 
Lapwings,     spurwinged,     dance 

quadrilles,  210  ;  description  of 

the  dancing,  210  et  seq. 
Lassoes,  used  by  Tehuelches  and 

gauchos,    164  ;  description  of, 

horsehair  rope,  235 
Lava  beds  at  Santa  Cruz,  217 
Lawrence,   Rev.    John,    Yahgan 

canoes   described  by,   55,  78  ; 

children  of,   continue  mission 

work,  104  et  seq. 
Le  Maire,  Straits  of,    15  ;    Ush- 

tiaia  in,  138  ;   strong  currents, 

and  tide  rips  in,  139 


INDEX. 


309 


Lennox  Island,  gold-bearing 
banks  on,  7  ;  same  formation 
of  bank  and  beach  as  at  Cape 
Virgin,  16  ;  harbour,  85 

Lezama,  Don  Gregorio,  organ- 
izes expedition  to  gold  dig- 
gings, 8 

I^ichens,  45 

Lignite,  found  in  Punta  Arenas, 
42  ;  found  in  Welsh  colony, 
178 

Lista,  Don  Ramon,  Argentine 
explorer  and  writer,  4,  120  ; 
collects  Tehuelche  tales,  159 

Literati  of  Yahgan  tril)e,  65 

Locusts,  pests  of  the  desert,  173 

Lucia,  Stephen,  94 

M 

Madryn,  Welsh  town  in  Pata- 
gonia, 180 ;  on  New  Gulf, 
251  ;    captain    of    the  port  of, 

251 

Magellan's    search     for     shorter 

route    to     Spice    Islands,    2  ; 

visited   St.    Julian    Harbor   in 

Patagonia,  151,  260 
Magellan,  Straits  of,  placer  gold 

in   streams   flowing   into,   22  ; 

bleak    pictures    of,     given    by 

early    navigators,     34  ;     Cape 

Horn   Archipelago     south    of, 

47  ;     Chilian     possessions   in, 

276  ;  narrows  in,  297 
Magnolia  trees,  size  of,  in   Fue- 

gian  Islands,  50 
Maidment,  Mr.,  catechist,  82 
Maldonada,    Senorita,    story   of, 

and  panther,  192 
Mammals,  83 
"  Manana      country,"      Spanish 

American    nations    so    called, 

279 
Manufacturing       industries       of 

Punta   Arenas,  42 
I\Iaria,  Santa  {see  under  Santa). 
Marriages  of  Yahgans  {see  Yah- 

gans). 


Marshall,  storekeeper  at  Chubut, 
178 

JllatJ,  wild  tea  of  Paraguay,  237  ; 
drinking,  245  et  seq.  {see 
Gaucho)  ;  great  consumption 
of,  in  Argentine,  271  ;  meat 
and  drink  to  Patagonians,  272 

Mayer,  Edelmiro,  Governor  of 
Patagonian  territory  of  Santa 
Cruz,  215  ;  large  land  owners 
along  Santa  Cruz  and  Chico 
rivers,  280  ;  Governor  of  Gal- 
legos,  285  ;  description  of 
home  of,  2S5  ;  devoted  to 
music  and  literature,  285  ;  wife 
of,  286  ;  commanded  a  negro 
regiment  in  War  of  the  Rebel- 
lion, 2S6  ;  helped  Mexicans 
overthrow  Maximilian,  286 

Mesa,  plains  of   Patagonia,  183, 

Meteorological  condition  of  is- 
lands, 51 

Methodists  at  Rawson,  177 

Minas,  Las,  creek  near  Punta 
Arenas,  4  ;  gold  found  in  large 
quantity,  5  ;  enormous  nug- 
gets, 6 

Mine  camps  at  Paramo  and  Ush- 
uaia  small  affairs,  23,  24 

Miners  of  Cape  Horn,  head- 
quarters of,  at  Punta  Arenas, 
24  ;  cost  of  outfit  of,  24. 

Misery,  Mount,  on  Navarin  Is- 
land, 51 

Mission  school  at  Keppel  Island, 
89  ;  first  station  of  Cape  Horn, 
79  ;  on  Beagle  Channel,  89, 
100  ;  growth  of,  100  et  seq. 

Mission,  schooner,  Allen  Gardi- 
ner, 89  ;  built  in  England,  85  ; 
commanded  by  Capt.  W.  P. 
Snow,  85  ;  steamship  to  re- 
place schooner,  100  ;  Roman 
Catholic,  established  near  San 
Sebastian  Bay,  133  ;  in  country 
of  the  Alaculoofs,  136 

Missionaries,  to  Yahgans,  spirit- 
ual teachings  of,  66,  71,  99  ; 


3IO 


INDEX, 


land  at  Picton  Island,  82  ; 
miserable  death  of,  85;  second 
party  of,  arrive  at  Keppei 
Island,  85;  some  murdered  by 
Yahgans,  86  ;  are  reinforced, 
87  et  seq.  ;  station  at  Ushuaia 
founded,  89  ;  Mr.  Bridges  in 
charge,  90  ct  seq. ;  material 
teachings  of,  go-yS  ;  extracts 
from  records  of,  93-100,  102, 
103  ;  natives  receive  scant  pay 
from,  95  et  seq.  ;  unhappy 
transformation  of  tribe  into 
laborers,  loi  et  seq.;  tribe  dies 
out,  105  ;  Mr.  Bridges  turns 
ranchman,  Ii3  et  seq.;  sell 
clothing  sent  to  be  given  to 
Indians,  122  ;  opportunities 
for  trade,  123;  reasons  for  so 
doing,  123  ;  salaries  of,  123 

Missiones,  229 

Mojave,  desert  of,  23 

Monkeys,  fossil  remains  of,  64 

Morrell,  Captain  Benjamin,  tales 
of  aborigines  by,  153  et  seq. 

Mosquitoes  numerous  in  I'ata- 
gonia,  173,  1S3 

Mount  Misery  {see  Misery). 

Mount  Sarmiento  {see  Sarmi- 
ento). 

Mountains,  snow-capped,  23  ; 
possible  gold  veins  in,  23  ; 
difficulties  of  ascent  of,  23  ; 
precipitous,  of  Fuegian  Islands, 
50 ;  covered  with  forests  of 
beech  and  magnolias,  50 ;  sea 
mosses  above  tree  line,  51  ; 
eternal  snows,  5  r 

Mouse,  prey  of  panther,  195 

Mouse-bird  {see  desert  sparrow). 

Musters,  George  Chaworth,  Com- 
mander, 4 


N 


Naturalist  in  La  Plata,  by  Mr. 

W.  H.  Hudson.  186 
Navarin      Island,     gold-bearing 

banks    on,    7  ;     rolling    hills. 


meadows  and  groves  on,  51  ; 
murder  of  some  of  the  mission- 
aries on,  86  ;  climate  near,  117 

Negro,  Rio,  Spanish  colony,  152 
{see  Carmen  de  Patagones)  ; 
parrots  found  in  region  of,  213; 
valley  and  ranches  of,  250, 
254,  256 

Nehuel-Huapi,  Lake,  apple 
orchards  on,  164 

New  Gulf,  in  Patagonia,  Welsh 
land  at,  170;  plenty  of  gypsum 
at,  172  ;  first  view  of  Pata- 
gonian  tramp  at  Madryn  on, 
251  ;  Ushuaia  arrives  at,  268  ; 
first  view  of,  263  ;  attractive 
telegraph  operator  in,  269 

New  Island,  gold-bearing  banks 
on,  7 ;  extraordinary  finds  at, 
\b  et  seq. 

New  Year's  Island,  north  of 
Staten  Island,  18,  140  ;  gold 
on,  148,  150 

Nomads  of  Patagonia,  the  Te- 
huelches,  151  et  seq. 

Nugget  weighing  300  grammes 
found  at  Las  Minas,  6 


O 


Ocean  Queen,  S.  S.,  82 

Ona  Indians,  of  Tierra  del 
Fuego,  59  ;  weapons  and  im- 
plements of,  59,  60  ;  efforts  to 
civilize  and  teach  them  sheep 
raising,  126  ;  flock  to  ranch, 
but  steal  sheep  at  night,  126  ; 
a  distinct  race,  127  ;  children 
used  as  servants  in  Argentine 
Government  fan^.ilies,  127  ; 
cause  of  name  Tierra  del  Fue- 
go, 1 28;  land  tribe,  128;  slight 
mention  of,  by  early  explorers, 
128;  same  origin  as  Tehuelches, 
129  ;  fine  runners,  129  ;  have 
no  boats,  but  are  found  in 
Patagonia,  129;  have  no  horses, 
129;  weapons  of,  129;  language 
of,  harsh,  129,   132  ;  food  of, 


INDEX. 


311 


129  ;  methods  of  hunting,  129; 
homes  of,  130  ;  no  lack  of 
intelligence,  130  ;  migratory 
habits,  130  ;  beard  plucking, 
131  ;  personal  appearance  of, 
131  ;  habits  of,  131  ;  capac- 
ity for  food,  131  et  seq.; 
methods  of  lighting  fires,  132  ; 
making  of  weapons,  132  ;  re- 
ligious beliefs  of,  unknown, 
132;  cruelty  of,  towards  whites, 
132;  cannibals,  133;  medicinal 
remedy  discovered  by,  134 ; 
glass  arrow-heads  of,  296  ; 
frequent  fights  with  shepherds 
and  gold  diggers  of  Tierra  del 
Fuego,  296 
Oomiaks,  canoes  of  Eskimos,  55 
Opossum,  fossil  remains  of,  64  ; 
thrives  in  treeless  Patagonia, 
196  ;  does  not  lose  climbing 
instinct,  196  ;  family  of,  trans- 
ported to  a  plantation  with 
trees,  196  ;  different  species 
of,  197 
Ostriches,  fossil  remains  of,  64, 

201  ;  desert  peculiarly  adapted 
to,  157  ;  prey  of  panther,  195  ; 
foes  of,  201;  two  kinds  of,  in 
Patagonia,  201  ;  angular  gait 
of,  201  ;  not  such  fools  as  re- 
ported, 202;  hiding  their  heads 
in  the  sand  a  real  safeguard, 

202  ;  color  of  sand  and  desert 
bushes,  203  ;  reasons  for  sur- 
vival of,  202  ;  flies  and  grass- 
hoppers the  food  of,  202  ;  nest 
built  by  male,  202  ;  brood 
cared  for  by  male,  202  ;  danger 
signal  of  male,  202  ;  learn 
habits  of  their  hunters,  203  ; 
easily  domesticated,  204  ;  will 
flock  to  a  place  of  safety  from 
great  distances,  204  ;  hunting, 
glorious  sport,  204  ;  appear- 
ance of  different  varieties  when 
pursued,  204  et  seq. ;  will  run 
from  a  gun  two  miles  away, 
204;  savage  traits  of  the  cocks, 


204 ;  Indian  method  of  captur- 
ing, 205  ;  appearance  of  white 
one  at  Carmen  de  Patagones, 
206  ;  taken  with  the  bolas, 
205  ;  eggs  and  flesh  of,  good 
eating,  206  ;  value  of  feathers 
of,  239 
Otten,  Fred,  6 

Otters  found  at  Cape  Horn,  75 
Outlaws,  colony  of,  on  Siberian 
coast,  67 


Panther,  also  called  American 
lion,  173  ;  description  of,  190 
et  sc-q.  ;  characteristics  of,  191 
ei  seq.;  story  of  a,  191  et  seq.  ; 
hunting,  193 ;  war  of  exter- 
mination against,  193  ;  habits 
of,  when  pursued,  193  ;  et 
seq.;  how  eaten  in  Patagonia, 
194  ;  hunting  habits  of  the, 
194;  food  of,  195;  wiliness 
of,  195  ;  wanton  destructive- 
ness  of,  195  ;  instinctive  dislike 
to  dogs,  Ig6  ;  charming  house- 
hold pet,  196;  fat  most  satisfy- 
ing food  of  the  desert,  238 

Paramo,  El,  meaning  of  name,  9; 
founded  by  Popper,  9  ;  first 
mine  camp  established  at,  g ; 
arrival  of  supplies  for  camp  at, 

11  ;  description  of  camp,  12  ; 
grassy  plains  and  treeless  hills, 

12  ;  richness  of  gold  bed  on 
beach  at,  \i  et  seq.  ;  gold  bed 
renewed  by  storms,  13  ;  meth- 
ods of  washing  gold,  14  ;  land 
in,  controlled  by  German- 
Argentine  corporation,  14  ; 
Argentine  military  station,  127 

Parrots,  fossil  remains  of,  157  ; 
found  in  forests  of  Andes,  213 
Partridge,  prey  of  panther,  190 
Patagonia,  2  ;  description  of,  5  ; 
engineer  sent  to,  by  Argentine 
Government,  7;  thousand  miles 
of  gold  vein  on  coast  of,  15  ; 


312 


INDEX. 


nomads  of,  151  et  seq.  ;  desert 
east  of  Andes,  152  ;  Jesuits 
plant  apples  in,  152  ;  Spanish 
colonies  attempted,  152  ;  Mr. 
Coan  and  Mr.  Arms  in,  154  ; 
condition  of,  in  1865,  169; 
grant  of  land  in,  to  Welsh,  169  ; 
Welsh  pilgrims  land  at  New 
Gulf,  ibget set/.;  winter  season 
in,  170  ;  dreary  surroundings 
of  Welsh  colonists  in,  170  et 
sfi/.  ;  gypsum  and  alkali,  171  ; 
Welsh  colonists  make  homes, 
172;  "Big  Feet,"  173  {see 
Tehuelches)  ;  transportation 
difficult,  179  ;  railway  con- 
structed, 179  ;  new  towns,  179  ; 
railway  piospered,  iSo;  rail- 
way building  not  expensive, 
181  ;  zoology  of,  183  ;  natives 
of,  consume  fat  like  Eskimos, 
194  ;  panther  an  esteemed 
article  of  diet  in,  194  ;  home 
of  panthers  and  'possums,  196; 
interesting  characteristics  of 
zoology  of,  200 ;  resembles 
desert  regions  of  United  States, 
200;  varieties  of  animals  found 
in,  ig4-2(io;  desert  animals  of, 
able  to  live  without  water,  200; 
birds  of,  201  ct  scq.  ;  birds  in- 
teresting to  sportsmen,  206  et 
seq.  ;  birds  interesting  to  nat- 
uralists, 208  ft  seq.  ;  thirteen 
Arctic  varieties  of  birds  migrate 
to,  210;  birds  of  north,  migrate 
farther  south,  210  ;  silence  of 
desert,  212  ;  sheep  raising  suc- 
cessful in,  216  ;  stories  of  suc- 
cessful ranchmen  in,  216;  well 
watered,  219  ;  description  of  a 
ranch  in,  222  ;  ranchmen  of, 
226 ;  extent  of  prairie  and 
desert  region  in,  228  ;  descrip- 
tion of  prairies  and  deserts, 
232  ;  wild  horses  of  the  plains 
of,  236;  tramps  in,  250;  track- 
less deserts  of,  250  ;  hospitality 
in  ranches  of,  256;  astonishing 


number  of  tramps  in,  259;  na- 
tives of,  prefer  vuittfio  all  else, 
272  ;  Santa  Cruz  the  planned 
metropolis  of,  27S ;  Gallegos 
the  capital  of,  279;  settlements 
small,  but  slow  healthy  growth, 
in,  287;  healthful  region,  287; 
most  valuable  product  of  native 
industry,  293  ;  squaws  make 
guanaco  skin  robes,  294;  weave 
guanaco  hair  into  blankets, 
294  ;  scenery  along  coast  of, 
297  ;  fascination  of  the  desert, 
297  _ 

Penguins,  numerous,  75  ;  rapid 
movements  of,  141;  fly  through 
water,  209  ;  not  eaten  by  Pata- 
gonians,  209  ;  eagerly  pursued 
by  Cape  Horn  Indians,  209 

Phillips,  Mr.  Garland,  catechist, 
85,  86 

Philomena,  Doiia,  boarding- 
house  keeper  in  (Jallegos,  284 

Picton  Island,  missionaries  land- 
ed at  Banner  Cove  in,  82  ; 
story  of  failure  to  establish 
mission  on,  82  et  seq.  ;  death 
of  missionaries,  84  ;  relief  shijj 
arrives  at,  84 

Pigeons,  Cape  Horn,  species  of 
gull,  141  ;  description  of,  208 
et  seq. 

Placer  gold  diggings  on  Pata- 
gonian  coast,  3  ;  gold  found  in 
all  the  streams  of  Tierra  del 
Fuego,  22  ;  gold  mines  along 
coast  south  of  Gallegos,  283 

Plate  River,  228,  261,  290 

J\ho  Tienipo,  land  of  Spanish- 
American  nations,  279 

Point  Hope,  in  Alaska,  67 

Poncho,  Indian  blanket  worn  by 
gauchos,  234;  woven  by  Indian 
squaws,  294  ;  not  equal  in 
beauty  to  work  of  Indians  of 
Guatemala,  294  ;  used  for 
wraps  and  saddle  blankets,  C94 

Popper,  Herr  Julius,  founder  of 
El  Paramo,  9  ;  murder  of,  10  ; 


INDEX. 


313 


describes  Punta  Arenas,  46  ; 
finds  gold  in  San  Sebastian 
Bay,  120 

Port  Desire,  on  Patagonian  coast, 
27;  Spanish  colony,  152  ;  vol- 
canic Isluffs  at,  157  ;  discovered 
by  Cavendish,  169  ;  ibises  of, 
211  ;  condors  of,  212  ;  ancient 
resort  of  pirates,  269  ;  view  of, 
disappointing,  270  ;  Tower 
Rock,27o;  description  of,  271; 
life  in,  271  el  seq.;  no  lack  of 
food  in,  271;  luxuries  depend 
upon  visits  of  transports,  271  ei 
Si-q.;  story  of  sub-prefect  of, 
272  ;  story  of  Lieut.  Wilson's 
servant,  273  ;  life  of  naval 
officers  in,  273  ;  ruins  cf  Span- 
ish fort  in,  274  ;  visit  to  home 
of  a  ranchman,  274  ;  interest- 
ing dinner,  275 

Port  Famine,  ancient  port,  27  ; 
Chili  took  possession  of,  27  ; 
penal  colony  of  Chili,  28  ; 
buildings  of,  destroyed  by 
convicts,  28  ;  colony  re-estab- 
lished farther  north,  28 

Port  Pantaloons,  Bay  of,  on 
Tierra  del  Fuego,  17;  descrip- 
tion of  scenery  at,  17  ;  gold 
found  at,  17 

Port  St.  Julian,  Spanish  colony, 
152 

Potatoes,  at  Ushuaia,  115  ;  at 
Punta  Arenas,  289 

Potro  boots, worn  by  gauchos,234 

Prairie  chickens,  easily  unnerved 
by  noise,  208  ;  simulate  death, 
208  ;  often  frightened  to  death, 
2o3  ;  two  varieties  of,  208  ; 
good  shooting  and  eating,  208; 
home  of,  208 

Prairie  dog,  prey  of  panther,  196 

Prospectors,  gold,  difficulties  of, 
15,  23  ;  model  of  sloop  of,  24  ; 
food  supply  of,  25  ;  long  ab- 
sences of,  25 

Puchero,  beef  stew,  on  the 
Ushuaia,  262 


Puerta  San  Juan  del  Salvamiento 
(.f^^  St.  John  Bay),  143 

Puma,  foe  of  the  ostrich,  201 

Punkies,  gnats,  183 

Punta  Arenas,  or  Sandy  Point, 
2  ;  Commander  Musters  stops 
at,  4 ;  Don  Ramon  Lista  visits, 
4  ;  inhabitants  excited  by  gold 
discoveries,  6  ;  supply  station 
for  sealing  schooners,  7  ;  head- 
quarters of  gold  miners,  24  ; 
story  of  foundation  of,  27  ct 
scq. ;  development  of  colony 
of,  2g  ct  seq.  ;  elements  of 
grovi'th,  30  ;  industry  of  sheep 
raising  begun,  31  ;  mutiny  in, 
32  et  seq.  ;  miserable  end  of 
mutineers,  33  ;  latitude  of,  33  ; 
arrival  of  Ushuaia  at,  33  ;  ap- 
pearance of,  in  May,  33,  34  ; 
description  of  town,  34  et  seq.; 
gambling  and  dance  houses,  36 
ct  seq.  ;  government  of  Chili 
nominally  republican,  but  ruled 
by  army,  39,  40  ;  bars  in,  40  ; 
description  of  women  in,  40  ; 
sidewalks  in,  40  ;  Governor's 
residence,  41  ;  scenery  about, 
41  ;  coal  discovered  in,  42  ; 
brick  making  in,  42  ;  possi- 
bilities of,  43  ;  region  rich  in 
tan  bark,  43  ;  trade  with  In- 
dians, 43  ;  goods  delivered  by 
sailboats,  43  ;  Indian  squaws 
make  rugs,  baskets,  etc.,  in, 
44  ;  Cuerpo  de  Bomberos 
gambling  club  in,  44  ;  pro- 
fusion of  flowers  in,  45  ;  popu- 
lation of,  45;  future  prosperity 
of,  46  ;  profits  of  sheep  raising 
in,  2ig  ;  fate  of  escaped  con- 
victs from,  213  ;  tramps  from, 
254;  vegetables  grown  in,  2S2, 
289  ;  price  of  guanaco-skin 
robes  in.  293  ;  curios  to  be 
found  at,  295  et  seq.  ;  gold 
dust  obtained  at,  297  ;  scenery 
south  of,  298 


314 


INDEX. 


Quillango,  fur  robe,  233  ;  worn 

by  gauchos,  235 
Quilmes,  near  Buenos  Ayres,  244 


R 


Railroad    from    New    Gulf     to 

Chubut,  179,  180,  269 
Rails,    song   and   dance   of    the 

long-legged,  211 
Ranch,  on  Beagle  Channel,  117  ; 

dinner  at,  at  Santa  Cruz,  223 
Ranchman,  marriage  of,   to  Te- 

huelche  girl,  224;  divorce,  224; 

income  of,  226  ;    restraints  of 

civilization  unbearal)le  to,  after 

wild  life  of  the  deserts,  226 
Rawson,  capital,  172,  177 
Records  of  missionaiy  life  and 

training  at  Keppel,  87  cl  seq. 
Religion  of  Yahgans,  70  et  seq. 
Reynard,  Mr.  H.  L.,  introduces 

sheep      raising      into      Punta 

Arenas,  31 
Rio  Gallegos  {see  Gallegos). 
Rio  Grande  do  Sul,  in  Brazil,  228 
Rio  Negro,   Spanish   colony  (see 

Carmen  de  Patagones). 
Rio  Santa  Cruz  {see  Santa  Cruz). 
Roca's  expeditions   against    Te- 

huelches,  156,  276 
Roedorn,     Count     Richard     of, 

passenger  on  Ushuaia^  267 
Rufous  {see  Prairie  chicken). 
Rugs  of  otter,   seal,   and  swan's 

down,  2g6 
Rum  cheap  in  the  Argentine,  244 


Sagebrush  and  swamps  found  at 

San  Sebastian  Bay,  11 
St.  George,  Gulf  of,  293 
St.  John  Bay,  15  ;  Harbor,  138  ; 

Cape  of,   139  ;    description   of 

tide  rip  at  entrance  of,   142  ; 

Government    post    established    ' 


in  1S84,  143;  Government  post 
of   Staten    Island    to    support 
lighthouse,     143  ;      governor's 
residence,  \i,\  et  seq,;  descrip- 
tion of  lighthouse,  146 ;  story 
of   runaway   sailor  boy,    146- 
148 
St.  Julian  harbor,  151 
St.  Lawrence  Bay,  67 
Salt  fields  on  Rio  Negro,  152, 157 
Sandy  Point  {see  Punta  Arenas) 
San  Sebastian   Bay,  placer  gold 
found    at,    10  ;    gold    seekers 
attacked  by  Indians,    11  ;  no 
running  water  near  gold  layers, 
1 1 ;  gold  found  by  Popper,  120; 
break  in  Andes  at,  125 
Santa   Cruz,    guanaco   cemetery 
at,  186  ;   Gallegos,    capital    of 
territory    of,    215  ;  amount   of 
profitable  land  in,  217  ;  amount 
of   worthless     land     in,    217  ; 
price  of  sheep  in,  218  ;  800,000 
sheep    in,    287  ;    future    pros- 
perity  of,    287  ;      fine     sheep 
ranch   near  city  of,  222  ;    de- 
scription   of   house   on   sheep 
ranch    near,    223  ;   passengers 
to,  262  ;    Ushuaia    arrives   at, 
276;    Weddell's     Bluff,    276; 
presidio,  or  barracks,  276  ;  to 
be  used  as  base  of  operations 
in  case  of  trouble  with  Chili, 
276  ;  profitable   sheep    raising 
in,    276  ;    town    consisted    of 
nine   buildings,  277  ;  deserted 
missionary     church    in,    277  ; 
plan  of  prospective  city,  278  ; 
price       of      land     at,      278  ; 
enormous    shipments    of   wool 
from,  278  ;   good  pasture  land 
in,  278  ;  traces  of  gold  at  Lake 
Argentine,    278  ;    enterprising 
land      "boomer"      of,     279; 
natural   advantages    of,    279  ; 
probable  gold  mines  in  Andes, 
279 ;    fine    timber   land    near, 
279    et   seq.  ;    lack     of     good 
drinking  water,  281  ;  method 


INDEX. 


315 


of  drawing  water  from  wells 
with  horse  and  lasso,  281 

Santa  Cruz  River,  32  ;  explored 
by  Darwin,  169  ;  impassable 
barrier  to  armadilloes,  199  ; 
tramp  at,  253  ;  navigable 
throughout  its  course,  279  ; 
owners  of  water  front  control 
all  the  range  back,  280  ;  Gov. 
Mayer  large  land  owner  on, 
280  ;  tide  rises  over  forty  feet 
at  mouth  of,  281 

Santa  Maria  River,  gold  found 
at,  10 

Sarmiento,  reference  to,  3  ;  starv- 
ing colony,  34,  80 ;  Pedro,  169 

Samiento  Mount,  25  ;  snow 
capped  peaks  of,  41  ;  peak  of 
'coast  range  on  Tierra  del 
Fuego,  47 

Saunders,  James,  215  ;  sheep 
raiser  in  Patagonia,  280 

Scenery,  of  Punta  Arenas  like 
Adirondacks,  34,  41  ;  along 
Patagonia  coast,  297,  299 

Sea  fowl,  methods  of  gathering 
eggs  of,  68 

Sea  mosses  above  tree  line  on 
mountains  of  Fuegian  islands, 

51 

Seals,  fur  and  hair,  in  Cape 
Horn  region,  75 

Seaweed,  uses  of,  68  ;  varieties 
of,  295 

Serpents  easily  destroyed  by 
panther,  196 

Sheep,  long-wooled  variety  in 
favor,  219  ;  diseases  of,  220; 
800,000  in  Santa  Cruz  terri- 
tory, 2S7. 

Sheep  raising,  a  productive  in- 
dustry in  Patagonia,  215  ; 
profits  for  one  year,  216  ;  suc- 
cess in,  at  Gallegos,  216  ; 
profitable  to  the  individual, 
217;  amount  of  capital  needed 
for,  218,  expenses  of,  2i3, 
220 ;  care  of  lambs,  219 ; 
profits   of,  in   Punta   Arenas, 


219  ;  average  pounds  of  wool 
per  sheep,  220  ;  as  compared 
with  Argentine  and  United 
States,  220 ;  havoc  made  by 
foxes  and  wildcats,  220  ;  con- 
servative estimate  of  profits  of, 
221  ;  compared  with  cattle 
business  in  the  United  States, 
221  ;  wool  sold  for  gold,  222  ; 
ranchmen  paid  in  paper,  222 

Sheep  ranch,  established  on 
Keppel  Island,  85  ;  descrip- 
tion of,  at  Santa  Cruz,  222 

Shells,  curious,  295  ;  antedilu- 
vian oyster,  295  ;  mussel,  295 

Shell  fish,  59,  76,  S3,  295 

Skees,  Norwegian,  149 

Skunks,  made  pets  by  Indians, 
198  ;  eaten  by  Indians,  198 

Skyring  Water  near  Punta  Are- 
nas, 2S2 

Slings,  Yahgans  expert  in  use  of, 
59,  60 

Sloggett  Bay,  rich  in  nugget 
gold,  18  ;  story  of  one  expedi- 
tion to,  ig  ;  peculiar  difficulties 
of  mining  in,  20  et  seq. 

Sloop  of  prospectors,  24 

Snakes  of  desert  destroyed  by 
deer,  198 

Snow,  Captain  W,  Parker,  com- 
mander of  mission  ship,  85  ; 
establishes  mission  on  Keppel 
Island,  85 

Snow  storms  every  month  in 
Cape  Horn  region,  91 

"  Son  of  the  southwest  gale," 
gaucho  term  for  dragon  fly, 
246 

Spaniard  Harbour,  or  Aguirre 
Bay,  84 

Spanish-American  nations,  lack 
of  enterprise  among,  279  ; 
Argentine  an  exception,  279  ; 
"  adobe  money  "  of,  279 

Sparrow,  desert,  232  ;  description 
of,  232 

Spears  used  by  Yahgans,  58  ;  by 
Tehuelches,  164 


3i6 


INDEX. 


Spider  of  the  hot  pampas  attacks 
man,  246 

Springs  one  hundred  miles  apart 
in  I'atagonian  desert,  157 

Squash  the  favorite  vegetable  of 
Argentine  ranchmen,  271 

Squirrel,  prairie,  food  of  Onas, 
129 

Staten  Island  of  Cape  Horn,  15, 
137  ;  similarity  of  ridges  of,  to 
Rocky  Mountains,  139  ;  end 
of  backbone  of  Western  Hem- 
isphere, 139  ;  Ushuaia  bound 
for  Antarctic,  13S  ;  view  of, 
139, 140  ;  mountain  ridge  2,000 
to  3,000  feet  high,  140  ;  vege- 
tation of  mountains,  i4o;varied 
and  interesting  forms  of  bird- 
life  off,  141  ;  terriiic  seas  and 
tide  rips  in,  142  ;  Goverment 
post  at  St.  John  Harbor,  142  ; 
St.  John  Bay,  143  ;  lighthouse 
of  St.  John's  Cape,  143-146  ; 
story  of  runaway  sailor  boy, 
146  el  seq,  ;  peculiar  formation 
of  the  island,  148  ;  bays  of, 
filling  with  sand,  148  ;  interior 
of,  almost  impassable,  149  ; 
supply  of  wood,  150  ;  climate, 
150  ;  gold  on  New  Year's  Is- 
land, 150 

Steubenrach,  Mr.,  British  Con- 
sular agent,  126  ;  introduces 
sheep  raising  on  Fuegian 
prairies,  126  ;  places  mission- 
ary in  charge  of  ranch,  126 

Stirling,  Rev.  W.  H.,  mission- 
ary to  Keppel,  87  ;  Bishop  of 
South  America,  takes  up  resi- 
dence on  mainland,  89 ;  or- 
dained Bishop  of  Falkland 
Islands,  90 ;  safe  journey 
through    Ona   country,    133 

Story-tellers,  skilful,  among 
Yahgan  tribe,  65 

Straits  of  Magellan  {see  Magel- 
lan). 

Straits  of  Le  Maire  {see  Le 
Maire). 


Swans,  myriads  of  in  Cape  Horn 
region,  75  ;  black  and  white, 
207  ;  good  eating,  208  ;  favor- 
ite breeding  places,  208 


Tan  bark  in  Punta  Arenas,  43 
Tea,  Paraguay  {see  Mate). 
Tehuelches,  half-breed  squaw  in 
tailor-made  gown,  44  ;  Indian 
tribe  of  Patagonia,  128  ;  same 
origin  as  Onas,  129  ;  have  no 
boats,  129;  consider  horse 
meat  adelicacy,  129;  liquidlan- 
guage  of,  132  ;  make  tents  of 
skins,  130,  165  ;  are  nomads, 
151  ;  a  noble  race,  151  ;  visited 
by  Magellan,  151 ;  exact  tribute 
from  Spanish  colony,  152  et 
seq.  ;  obtain  horses,  152  ; 
character  of,  152 ;  chief  de- 
manding tribute  in  Carmen  de 
Patagones,  153  ;  story  of  ef- 
forts to  convert,  153  et  seq.  ; 
receive  missionaries  kindly, 
154;  maintain  independence 
for  360  years,  155  ;  war  of  ex- 
termination against,  155  ; 
prisoners    tortured  by  whites, 

156  ;  home  region  of,  156  ; 
alluvial  soil,  157 ;  salt  lakes 
and  beds,  157  ;  volcanic  rocks, 

157  1  physical  proportions  of, 
157  et  seq.  ;  prodigious 
strength,  158  ;  personal  ap- 
pearance, 158  ;  attractive  wo- 
men, 158  ;  habit  of  gum 
chewing,  159  ;  population 
before  and  after  war  of 
extermination,  159  ;  mental 
qualities  of,  159  ;  literature  of, 
159  ;  fables  of,  159  et  seq.; 
religious  beliefs  of,  iboet  seq.; 
religious  rites  of,  161  ;  medi- 
cine men  and  women,  161  ; 
superstitions  of,  i6r  et  seq.  ; 
musical  instruments  of,  162  ; 
division  of  time,  162  ;   astrori- 


INDEX. 


317 


omy  of,  162  ;  government, 
162  ;  ceremonies  of  marriage 
and  divorce,  163  ;  happy  home 
hfe  of,  163  ;  cider  festivals 
164  ;   love  of  liquor  chief  vice, 

164  ;  apple  orchards  of,  164  ; 
weapons  of,  164  ;  use  of  guns 
and  pistols,  164  ;  methods  of 
hunting  game,  164  et  seq.  ; 
modesty  of,  165  ;  morality  of, 

165  ;  corrupted  by  whites,  165 
et  seq. ;   methods  of  cooking, 

166  ;  habits  of  cleanliness 
among,    166  ;     food    of,    166, 

167  ;  characteristics  of,  167  ; 
meaning  of  name,  173;  help 
Welsh  colonists,  173  ;  chief's 
dying  remark,  175  ;  blankets 
made  by  squaws,  234  et  seq.  ; 
beguiled  sailors  to  desert,  257 
et  seq.  ;  made  slaves  of  them, 
25S  ;  story  of  baby  found 
by  Lieut.  \Vilson,  273  ;  glass 
arrowheads  made  by,  296 

Tekenika  Bay,  104 

Teresina  B. ,  story  of  dismantled 
sloop  named,  134  et  seq. 

Thetis  Bay,  Argentine  military 
station,  127 

Tierra  del  Fuego  {see  under 
Fuego). 

Tinamon,  spotted  {see  Prairie 
chicken). 

Tower  Rock  {see  Port  Desire). 

Tramps,  of  Patagonia,  250  ;  first 
view  of,  at  Madryn,  251  ; 
story  of  mysterious,  at  Mad- 
ryn, 251  et  seq.  ;  from  Sandy 
Point,  253  et  seq.  ;  causes  of 
development  of,  254,  256  ;  or- 
dinance against,  at  Gallegos, 
255  ;  in  Chubut,  256  ;  sailors 
beguiled  by  Indians  to  desert, 
257  ;  hardships  of,  among  In- 
dians, 258  ;  number  of,  com- 
pared with  those  in  the  United 
States,  259 

Transport,  trip  on  Argentine  {see 
Ushuaia). 


Tropical  luxuriance  of  growth 
in  Tierra  del  Fuego,  23 

Turner,  L.  M.,  on  Eskimo  lan- 
guage, 63 

Turnips,  size  of,  at  Tierra  del 
Fuego,  115  ;  grown  at  Punta 
Arenas,  289 


U 


Uruguay,  quarantine  station  of, 
22S  {see  Flores  Island). 

Useless  Bay,  on  Tierra  del 
Fuego,  10,  125 

Ushuaia,  capital  of  Argentine 
Tierra  del  Fuego,  15,  79,  261; 
mining  camp,  24  ;  coldest  spot 
of  the  region,  52  ;  location  of, 
on  Tierra  del  P'uego,  79  ;  first 
missionary  station  at,  89  ;  near 
Chili  line,  loi  ;  military  post 
established  at,  102  ;  a  remark- 
able capital,  107  ;  sub-prefec- 
tura,  loS ;  good  harbor,  109  ; 
first  viev/  of,  109  ;  description 
of  the  capital,  1 10  ;  latitude  of, 
III  ;  lack  of  sunshine  in,  ill  ; 
inhabitants  of,  112;  life  in, 
113  et  seq.  ;  size  of  vegetables 
in,  115;  good  pasturage  in, 
115  ;  Figue,  storekeeper  at, 
115,  297  ;  work  done  by  Yah- 
gans,  116;  severe  climate,  116; 
life  dull  in,  117  ;  curios  to  be 
found  at,  295  et  seq.  ;  gold 
dust  obtained  at,  297 

Ushuaia,  Argentine  naval  trans- 
port, voyage  on,  9  ;  in  danger- 
ous waters,  15  ;  arrives  at 
Punta  Arenas,  33  ;  voyage 
continued,  117  ;  bound  for 
Antarctic  Staten  Island,  able 
sea  boat,  139,  264  ;  view  of 
Staten  Island  from,  140  ;  an- 
chors in  St.  John  Bay,  143  ; 
sails  from  Buenos  Ayres,  261  ; 
description  of,  261  et  seq.;  life 
on  board,  261-26S  ;  first  meal 
on   board,    262  ;  dish-washing 


3i8 


mDEX. 


onboard,  262;  captain  of,  263  ; 
amusing  discomforts  on  board, 
265  et  icq.  ;  "  Ta-ra-ra-boom- 
de-ay  "  in  four  languages,  267  ; 
encounters  head  winds  and 
sea*;,  268  ;  arrives  at  New  Gulf, 
268  ;  a  slow  tub,  268  ;  card 
playing  on  board  of,  26S  ;  bet- 
ting, 268  ;  arrives  at  Port  De- 
sire, 270 ;  arrives  at  Santa 
Cruz,  276  ;  arrives  at  Galle- 
gos,  281  ;  captain  a  fine  sports- 
man, 2S8  ;  ducks  thick  off 
Santa  Cruz,  2S8  ;  table  not 
beyond  criticism,  288  ;  variety 
of  fish  and  game  courses,  288  ; 
lack  of  fresh  vegetables,  289  ; 
serious  discomforts  on  board 
of,  2S8-291  ;  a  novel  mixed 
drink,  292  ;  returns  to  Buenos 
Ayres,  299 
Ushuaia  Bay,  description  of,  90 

V 

Valley  of  the  Missionaries,  near 
Santa  Cruz,  277 

Vegetable  food  native  to  Cape 
Horn  region,  49,  75,  115,  157, 
178,  23S,  289 

Vendettas  among  Yahgan  tribe, 
67  et  seq. 

Vincent,  Mr.  Frank,  remarks 
upon  Punta  Arenas,  46 

Virgin,  Cape,  vv'reck- of  Argen- 
tine sailors  on,  4  ;  wreck  of 
S.  S.  Arctic  on,  6,  10  ;  gold 
supply  renewed  after  storms 
at,  13,  283 

Vizcacha  Lagostomus  Trichodac- 
tyliis  {see  Prairie  dog). 

Vocabulary  of  Yahgans,  63 

N'^olcanic  bluffs  at  Port  Desire, 
157  ;  volcanic  peaks,  range  of, 
south  of  Rio  Gallegos,  157 

W 

Wallis,  Capt.  Samuel,  early  navi- 
gator, 43,  260 


Weasels,  malignant  faces  of,  197; 
larger  than  United  States  vari- 
ety, 197  ;  travel  in  packs,  197 

Weddell's  Bluff  {see  Santa  Cruz). 

Wells,  Ensign  Roger,  U.  S.  N., 
62  ;  prepared  Eskimo-English 
vocabulary,  63 

Welsh  settlement  at  Chubut,  33, 
168;  cause  of  founding  colony, 
168  et  seq.  ;  pilgrims,  landing 
of,  169  ;  obtains  grant  of  laud 
in  Patagonia,  169;  great  suffer- 
ings of,  X71;  alkali  water,  171 ; 
gypsum,  171  ;  lay  out  capital 
city,  named  Rawson,  172  ; 
make  friends  with  Tehuelches, 
173;  foes  of  the  desert,  173; 
provisions  supplied  by  Argen- 
tine Government,  173  ;  hard- 
shi]is  of,  173  et  seq.  ;  succeeds 
at  last,  175  et  seq.;  wheat  and 
barley  crops,  T76;  denomina- 
tional churches  of,  177  ;  no 
physicians  in,  178;  prospectors 
forgold,i78;  lignite  and  quartz 
Avorkings,  178  ;  import  sheep, 
1 78;  profit  in  sheep  raising,  179; 
colony  sixty  miles  long,  252 

Whaits,  Mr.  R.,  mission  carpen- 
ter, 88 

Whale  Sound,  15 

Whales  abounded  in  Cape  Horn 
waters,  75 

Wheelright,  Mr.  William,  founder 
of  Pacific  Steam  Kavigation 
Co.,  29 

"Wild  mirth  of  the  desert," 
gaucho  term  for  ostrich  hunt- 
ing, 246 

Williams,  Mr.  Richard,  catechist 
and  surgeon,  82 

Y\'^illis,  Captain,  of  mission 
schooner,  123 

"  Williwaws,"  whirling  squalls, 
299 

W^ilson,  Don  Juan,  sub-prefect 
of  Port  Desire,  272  ;  story  of, 
272  etseq.;  story  of  his  servant, 
273 


INDEX. 


319 


Winds,  high,  in  Tierra  del  Fuego, 
15,  23,  51,  138,  235,  298 

Wollaston  Island,  gold-bearing 
banks  on,  7,  48,  87 


Yahgans,  or  Antarctic  High- 
landers, Indian  tribe  described 
by  Darwin,  48  et  seq.  ;  com- 
pared with  Eskimos,  49;  with- 
out clothing  or  shelter,  49  ; 
description  of,  50  ;  homes  of, 
52;  dress  of,  53;  habits  of,  54; 
canoes  of,  54  ;  dimensions  of 
canoes,  55  ;  method  of  build- 
ing canoes,  56  ;  weapons  of, 
57  ;  implements  of,  57  et 
seq.  ;  methods  of  fishing  and 
extracting  oil,  59-61  ;  utensils 
of,  61  ;  language  of,  62  ;  vo- 
cabulary, 63;  remarkable  men- 
tal development,  63;  origin  of, 
64  ;  country  of,  explored,  64  ; 
language  of,  melodious,  64, 
132;  government  of,  66;  treat- 
ment of  squaws,  64  ;  native 
politeness  of,  65;  skilful  story- 
tellers, 65  ;  poets,  novelists, 
and  historians,  65  ;  clever 
talkers,  66  ;  abundance  of 
food,  66,  75;  songs  and  dances 
of,  66;  abundajit  leisure,  66;  lax 
notions  about  property,  67  ; 
vendettas  of,  67  etseq.;  crimes 


of,  69  ;  favorite  modes  of  re- 
venge, 68  ;  marriages  of,  69  ; 
religion  of,  70;  ideas  of  death, 
71  ;  treatment  of  the  sick,  71  ; 
customs  of  mourning,  71;  folk 
lore,  71;  personal  appearance 
of,  73  et  seq.;  women  of  tribe, 

74  ;    ferocity   towards   whites, 

75  ;  methods  of  cooking,  76  ; 
traditions  of,  76  ;  not  canni- 
bals, 77  ;  characteristics  of,  77 
et  seq.;  civilization  the  ruin  of, 
77,  78;  first  missionary  to,  81; 
missionaries'  plan  for  civilizing, 
91;  become  farm  laljorcrs,  92  ; 
report  of  Mr.  Bridges,  93  et 
seq.  ;  work  required  by  mis- 
sionaries of,  95  ;  scanty  pay, 
95,  98  ;  change  of  dress  and 
habits  of,  loi  ;  epidemics 
among,  102  et  seq.;  civilization 
an  evil  to,  104-106  ;  physical 
deterioration  and  diminution 
of,  103-105  ;  work  done  by,  in 
Argentine  capital,  116  ;  work 
on  Mr.  Bridge's  ranch,  119  ; 
described  by  early  navigators, 
52,  128  ;  rush  baskets  of,  296  ; 
make  models  of  their  canoes 
and  weapons  for  sale,  297 


Zanibelli,  Luis,  dealer  in  Indian 
relics,  44 


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